Swamp Scene (1885)

Dated 1885, "Swamp Scene" is an artwork by Joseph Rusling Meeker. Landscape in brief: Painters have used landscape to study light, weather, season, and the relation between people and place. 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. Context for 1885: Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do. In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. The catalogue places it in Landscape. The format is landscape.

On onlly.art "Swamp Scene" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks.

American, 1827–1889

If you like the visual language of Joseph Rusling Meeker, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.