Why does landscape art matter?
I've been thinking recently about why we bring countryside art into our homes. What is the appeal of landscape paintings, or animal art, or countryside themes? What are we seeking when we buy art which depicts open skies and field views, or beautiful sunsets? I think it goes beyond just seeing a lovely image - although sometimes it is just a purely visceral reaction which makes us impulse buy, because we love the image and can see it on our walls.
Where did landscape art come from?
Although themes of nature have been depicted in art for centuries, Landscape art as a style found it's popularity growing through work in the 1750s onwards, by great British artists such as Gainsborough, who was a founding member of the Royal Academy. Although prolific in his portraiture work, he also had a passion for landscape, and was the originator of the British landscape movement in the 18th century. Whereas previously landscapes had been merely the background of portraits of the landed gentry, their popularity as a subject in their own right grew.
From around 1800-1850, landscape art grew in relation to the Romantic era, and prominent British artists such as Turner and Constable established the subject as one of increasing importance in art, bringing a growing appreciation of the emotions a landscape could evoke, and an awareness of the skills needed to create convincing landscapes.
Why does the natural world matter in our homes?
In our modern world, it seems as if more people are seeking connections with nature and none more-so than in our own homes. Whether its printed fabrics on our cushions and curtains, or the boom in popularity in house plants, the swerve away from grey bland-ness to 'dopamine decor' seems to really embrace themes around nature - flora and fauna of all kinds.
I think the pandemic has had a lasting impact on us and can be seen as a real turning point for us all in how we live and what we surround ourselves by. Whilst isolated from others, the small opportunities we were allowed to go for a walk or to sit in our gardens became hugely important. We realised how important seeing the natural world was for our mental health.
"Connectedness refers to the way we relate to nature and experience nature. A strong connection with nature means feeling a close relationship or an emotional attachment to our natural surroundings. " This, from the Mental Health Foundation (1) is a good definition of the link between our attachment to nature - if we're connected, we feel part of the bigger world. We see ourselves not as a separate species, but intertwined with.
For me as an artist, l am incredibly lucky to live within a rural environment, meaning I see the natural world every day. I can feel the impact it has on me mentally, and know that if I have days where I spend no time outside, it's detrimental. I used to work in hospital theatres in Recovery, and our Recovery room had no windows. Working long shifts, it wasn't uncommon to arrive in the dark and leave in the dark, with seeing zero natural light the whole day. I really found this difficult at times and appreciate my opportunities to get outside all the more now. Creating paintings such as "There is Always Hope" is my way of bringing the benefits of nature to art, and the more I paint landscapes and skies, the more I feel the impact of them.
When the modern world means we can't always access nature as much as we would like to, bringing it into our homes is all the more important. It allows us to 'see' beyond our own four walls, to experience that sense of sonder - of being small in a vast space. Nature has long been known to improve mental health outcomes and make us feel better, so maybe the question should be.. why wouldn't we have landscape art in our homes?
1 How connecting with nature benefits mental health | Mental Health Foundation