Trees by an Entrance to a Park

Theodosius Forrest

1748–84 · Graphite, brush and green and ochre wash or watercolor · Drawings and Prints

Forrest trained as an artist under George Lambert, took drawing lessons from Paul Sandby, then followed his father into law. He worked as a solicitor for the Covent Garden Theatre while exhibiting as an amateur at the Royal Academy until shortly before his death. In this rare work, delicate layered washes are used to describe abundant summer foliage within a fenced park. Trees glimpsed through a gate may grow at Hampstead or Windsor. The way the composition is built from contrasting patches of light and shade, with blocks of color left suggestively undefined around the edges, demonstrates the influence of both Paul Sandby and his brother Thomas. Forrest remained particularly close to the latter, accompanying him on sketching tours.

Artist

Theodosius Forrest

Date

1748–84

Medium

Graphite, brush and green and ochre wash or watercolor

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Brooke Russell Astor Bequest, 2013