“Untitled”
“Untitled” is an oil on panel landscape painting by the American Impressionist artist, Thomas Manley, from 1922. By 1890, the Impressionism art style had made the leap from Europe to America with vivacity and would remain in vogue until the 1920s. Manley was influenced by and worked in this new style for decades.
In this painting, Manley depicts a rural summer landscape in the impressionism style. The grassy field in the foreground, the wooden fence on the left, and the farmhouse tucked behind the trees in the back depicts a very American scene from the 1920s. The grassy field is thick with paint, giving texture to the scene. Birds fly happily in the background, silhouetted against the pale blue sky.
Manley worked in a variety of mediums, mastering one before moving onto the next. His technique involved painting small “thumbnail” versions of a scene before bringing it home to paint a larger version in his studio. Most of his landscapes were of scenes around his home in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
Leaving nothing unattended, he also made his own paints and inks to use in his artwork. Manley ground his own pigments to use for his oil and tempera paintings to ensure the quality and longevity of his art. His style was to apply thick paint with visible texture in small strokes reminiscent of pointillism.
“Untitled” is currently in a private collection. It last sold on November 17, 2012.
For more on Thomas Manley, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
