A Rocky Stream, Italy 1781 - 1796

Samuel Woodforde made this watercolor on paper, “A Rocky Stream, Italy.” Notice how the artist captured the interplay of light and shadow on the rocks and foliage. Woodforde diluted his pigments and built up thin washes of color, allowing the paper’s texture to show through. The effect gives a sense of atmosphere, as though you can feel the humidity in the air. The artist used graphite to sketch the composition before applying the washes of ink and watercolor, and we can see evidence of it in the definition of the rocks and along the river bank. The work has a topographical quality, suggesting that Woodforde was interested in documenting the specific features of the Italian landscape, probably as part of the Grand Tour. Yet he also gives a subjective impression of nature. Consider how the artist's engagement with the materiality of watercolor and graphite contributes to the painting’s sense of place, evoking the rugged beauty of the Italian countryside. Woodforde elevates it to a sensitive, evocative work of art.