Rafting on the Saint Lawrence (1853)

Edmund C. Coates is the artist behind "Rafting on the Saint Lawrence", dated 1853. Historical background, 1853: The first half of the nineteenth century moved from Neoclassicism to Romanticism, which placed emotion, nature, and the sublime at the centre of painting. Landscape gained new prestige through groups such as the Barbizon painters in France and the Hudson River School in the United States, and by mid-century Realism turned to ordinary people and everyday labour. Landscape, a short history: The invention of paint in tubes in the 1840s made it easier to work outdoors, and landscape became a main subject of Romanticism, Realism, and Impressionism. Painters have used landscape to study light, weather, season, and the relation between people and place. It is listed in the Landscape collection. The image is in landscape orientation.

Buying "Rafting on the Saint Lawrence" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Landscape scenes add depth and a sense of air to the room, helping the space feel more open and working especially well above a sofa, console, or desk. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

American, 1816–1872

If you like the visual language of Edmund C. Coates, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.