Colours of autumn: paintings of the season

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus

Across much of the world, autumn or fall is the most beautiful time of the year with trees glistening with gold, red, yellow and orange. The turning of the season has captivated artists for centuries with many painters also using it as an opportunity to  contemplate the themes of change and decay. Below we present some of the finest and most unique portrayals of autumn in the history of art.

Nature & Locales

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Cattle by a Stream (oil on canvas), Loveridge, Clinton (1824-1902) / Private Collection / Phillips, Fine Art Auctioneers, New York, USA

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Walnut Tree, 1998 (oil on board), Robert Hobhouse (Contemporary Artist) / Private Collection / Bridgeman Images

Autumn Tree, 1909, Schiele, Egon (1890-1918) / Private Collection

Autumn Tree, 1909,  Egon Schiele (1890-1918) / Private Collection

Autumn Effect at Argenteuil, 1873, Monet, Claude (1840-1926) / Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London, UK

Autumn Effect at Argenteuil, 1873, Claude Monet (1840-1926) / Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London, UK

Golden Autumn, 1895 (oil on canvas), Levitan, Isaak Ilyich (1860-1900) / Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Golden Autumn, 1895 (oil on canvas), Levitan, Isaak Ilyich (1860-1900) / Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The Birch Wood, 1903 (oil on canvas), Klimt, Gustav (1862-1918) / Private Collection

The Birch Wood, 1903 (oil on canvas), Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) / Private Collection

Shawanagunk Mountains, Autumn, 1863 (oil on canvas), McEntee, Jervis (1828-91) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie's Images

Shawanagunk Mountains, Autumn, 1863 (oil on canvas), Jervis McEntee (1828-91) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images

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The Large Plane Trees, or Road Menders at Saint-Rémy, 1889 (oil on fabric), Gogh, Vincent van (1853-90) / Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA / Gift of the Hanna Fund

Animals & Creatures

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A Bit of Colour, Mull (oil on canvas), MacNee, Robert Russell (1880-1952) / Private Collection / Photo © Peter Nahum at The Leicester Galleries, London

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Lovers and Swans; The Autumn Walk, 1896 (pastel on paper), Latouche, Gaston de (1854-1913) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images

Robin, 1982 (w/c & bodycolour on paper), Fedden, Mary (1915-2012) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie's Images

Robin, 1982 (w/c & bodycolour on paper), Mary Fedden (1915-2012) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images

Autumn, 1871 (oil on canvas), Grimshaw, John Atkinson (1836-93) / Private Collection / Roy Miles Fine Paintings

Autumn, 1871 (oil on canvas), John Atkinson Grimshaw  (1836-93) / Private Collection / Roy Miles Fine Paintings

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Autumn Macmillan 2014 (w/c) , Emma Haworth

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The Stag Do (oil on linen) , Rebecca Campbell / Private Collection / Courtesy of Jonathan Cooper Gallery

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Deer in a Forest (oil on canvas), Kuhnert, Wilhelm (1865-1926) / Private Collection / Photo © Bonhams, London, UK

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Swan Goose among Water Reeds (ink & colour on silk), Chinese School, (15th century) / Detroit Institute of Arts, USA / Founders Society Purchase

People & Places

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The Terrace, Autumn; La Terrasse, Automne, (oil on canvas), Charreton, Victor (1864-1937) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images

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Autumn Morning, John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-93) / Private Collection / © Mallett Gallery, London, UK

Autumn Leaves, 1856 (oil on canvas), Millais, John Everett (1829-96) / Manchester Art Gallery, UK

Autumn Leaves, 1856 (oil on canvas), John Everett Millais (1829-96) / Manchester Art Gallery, UK

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In the Golden Olden Time, c.1870, Grimshaw, John Atkinson (1836-93) / Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Lancashire, UK

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A Day in Late Autumn, Old Box Hill Bridge, Surrey (oil on canvas), Waite, Edward Wilkins (1854-1924) / Private Collection

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In the Golden Gloaming, 1883 (oil on canvas), Grimshaw, John Atkinson (1836-93) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images

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The Fall of the Leaf, 1900, Waite, Edward Wilkins (1854-1924) / Private Collection

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Towneley Hall, c.1798 (w/c on paper), Turner, Joseph Mallord William (1775-1851) / Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museum, Burnley, Lancashire

 

Find out More

 

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Fall Colors 

All images in this blog post are sourced from the Bridgeman website. See more paintings of autumn.

Contact our sales team on uksales@bridgemanimages.com to enquire about licensing images for reproduction and publication.

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