Gilpin's Mill on the Brandywine

Artist:

Thomas Doughty

(American, 1793 - 1856)

Gilpin's Mill on the Brandywine

Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1830
Dimensions:
7 1/4 × 11 in. (18.4 × 27.9 cm)
Accession number: 86.9
Label Copy:
The direct observation of nature was important to Thomas Doughty, one of the earliest American painters to devote himself exclusively to landscape painting. His work influenced Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School of landscape painters. A Philadelphia native, Doughty trained himself as an artist by copying European paintings in various collections in the city. He received commissions to depict estates and public buildings and sometimes supplemented his income by painting multiple versions of a scene. This painting, along with the one hanging nearby, depicts a paper mill on the Brandywine, built in 1787 by Joshua and Thomas Gilpin.
Curatorial RemarksThe direct observation of nature was important to Thomas Doughty, one of the earliest American painters to devote himself exclusively to landscape painting. His work influenced Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School of landscape painting. A Philadelphia native, Doughty trained himself as an artist by copying European paintings in various collections in the city. He received commissions to depict estates and public buildings and in 1827 was elected a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Many of Doughty's landscapes reflect his interest in hunting and fishing. The artist sometimes supplemented his income by painting multiple versions of an image and providing publishers with landscapes for engraving. This painting depicts a paper mill built in 1787 by Joshua and Thomas Gilpin and is presumed to be based on an earlier version.


The direct observation of nature was important to Thomas Doughty, one of the earliest American painters to devote himself exclusively to landscape painting. His work influenced Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School of landscape painting. A Philadelphia native, Doughty trained himself as an artist by copying European paintings in various collections in the city. He received commissions to depict estates and public buildings and, in 1827, was elected a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.


Many of Doughty's landscapes reflect his interest in hunting and fishing. The artist sometimes supplemented his income by painting multiple versions of an image and providing publishers with landscapes for engraving. This painting depicts a paper mill, built in 1787 by Joshua and Thomas Gilpin, and is presumed to be based on an earlier version.

On view