Discover Nature from Home

As many of us are in our homes practicing social distancing, we want to make it easier to enjoy the outdoors and our art! We are showcasing some beautiful landscapes from our collection to ease some of the “cabin fever” as we stay at home.

Today, depictions of the natural landscape are considered a classic favorite. Yet the genre has not always been so respected. In the Western tradition, landscapes were first seen as backdrops to other subject matter, such as historical or biblical scenes. It was not until the 17th century that landscapes began to emerge as a subject in their own right with any regularity. Landscapes remained a lesser genre, compared to portraits or paintings of historical events, until the 18th and 19th centuries, when artists began to equate the appreciation of beautiful scenery with spirituality and a growing respect for and understanding of the natural world. In the 19th century, landscapes were a dominant favorite, with artists producing many pastoral scenes and natural vistas that were lauded by critics and viewers alike.

We encourage you to Discover Nature through short landscape-inspired activities below! From coloring pages to a word search to tips for taking your own landscape photographs on your iPhone, these fun activities will give you a creative escape, and won’t take more than a few minutes of your day!

Discover Nature from Home Inspired Activities

Landscape Photography iPhone Tips Download

Une Rigole (Foret de Senant), ca. 1850 by Jules Michelin Puzzle

120

Samek Coloring Sheets
Click to download

Discover Nature Matching Game

Column B includes microscopic details of the artwork in
column A. Try to figure out which micro image belongs to which artwork.
Click on the artwork in column A if you want a closer look.