Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. William Hart died in 1894; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1964.
In context
Birches — William Hart
The original measures 44 × 24 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 71 at death.
Painted when the artist was 32. The artist lived to 71. 4 of the 21 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of William Hart (1823–1894) ▲ this work, 1855 every dated painting, decade by decade
First works: up to 1855 Main working years: 1855–1873 Late works: from 1873
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/birches-by-william-hart/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Gray #737373
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
Artist and museum
Born in Paisley, United Kingdom
Born in Paisley, United Kingdom, William Hart emigrated to the United States with his family in 1831, eventually settling in Albany, New York. His early artistic journey began as an apprentice to a decorative painter in Albany and Troy, where he gained his first experience decorating coach panels with landscapes. After a period spent as a portrait painter and an unsuccessful attempt to seek commissions in the mid-western States, Hart exhibited his first work at the National Academy of Design in 1848. Following a period of study in Europe, he returned to America and shifted his focus toward landscape painting. He eventually settled in New York City, opening a studio in the Tenth Street Studio Building in 1858 and later serving as the President of the Brooklyn Academy of Design in 1865.
As a member of the Hudson River school, Hart developed a mature landscape style that emphasized light and atmosphere, becoming particularly adept at depicting angled sunlight and foreground shadow. His later works often featured cattle as a recurring motif, frequently depicting cows grazing or watering in the foreground or middle distance against a bucolic backdrop. Beyond his oil paintings, Hart was known for his exceptional etchings, including his iconic work "Naponock (Naponoch) Scenery, Ulster County, New York." His prolific output included sketches, watercolors, and sketch books, many of which were retained by his family and are held by the Albany Institute of History & Art.
topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/birches-by-william-hart/
Look closely
Birches — William Hart
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
"Birches" by William Hart is recorded with a muted saturation and a monochromatic intensity.
"Birches" is available as a fine art print on cotton canvas or archival canvas paper. Orders are placed on its Fine Art Print page, in the size of your choice.
The copyright answer for "Birches" by William Hart: the work is in the public domain - its copyright has expired. This determines whether reproductions of the image may be freely made.