“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
Cattle by a Stream (oil on canvas), Loveridge, Clinton (1824-1902) / Private Collection / Phillips, Fine Art Auctioneers, New York, USA
Walnut Tree, 1998 (oil on board), Robert Hobhouse (Contemporary Artist) / Private Collection / Bridgeman Images
Autumn Tree, 1909, Egon Schiele (1890-1918) / Private Collection
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
The Birch Wood, 1903 (oil on canvas), Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) / Private Collection
Shawanagunk Mountains, Autumn, 1863 (oil on canvas), Jervis McEntee (1828-91) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images
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
A Bit of Colour, Mull (oil on canvas), MacNee, Robert Russell (1880-1952) / Private Collection / Photo © Peter Nahum at The Leicester Galleries, London
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), Mary Fedden (1915-2012) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images
Autumn, 1871 (oil on canvas), John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-93) / Private Collection / Roy Miles Fine Paintings
Autumn Macmillan 2014 (w/c) , Emma Haworth
The Stag Do (oil on linen) , Rebecca Campbell / Private Collection / Courtesy of Jonathan Cooper Gallery
Deer in a Forest (oil on canvas), Kuhnert, Wilhelm (1865-1926) / Private Collection / Photo © Bonhams, London, UK
Swan Goose among Water Reeds (ink & colour on silk), Chinese School, (15th century) / Detroit Institute of Arts, USA / Founders Society Purchase
People & Places
The Terrace, Autumn; La Terrasse, Automne, (oil on canvas), Charreton, Victor (1864-1937) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images
Autumn Morning, John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-93) / Private Collection / © Mallett Gallery, London, UK
Autumn Leaves, 1856 (oil on canvas), John Everett Millais (1829-96) / Manchester Art Gallery, UK
In the Golden Olden Time, c.1870, Grimshaw, John Atkinson (1836-93) / Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Lancashire, UK
A Day in Late Autumn, Old Box Hill Bridge, Surrey (oil on canvas), Waite, Edward Wilkins (1854-1924) / Private Collection
In the Golden Gloaming, 1883 (oil on canvas), Grimshaw, John Atkinson (1836-93) / Private Collection / Photo © Christie’s Images
The Fall of the Leaf, 1900, Waite, Edward Wilkins (1854-1924) / Private Collection
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.
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