Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Henry Tate Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/john-linnell-351" aria-label="More by John Linnell" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">John Linnell</a>
Contemplation
Presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894
actions: postures and motions
adults
animals: mammals
contemplation
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
forest
landscape
leisure and pastimes
lying down
man
people
reading
recreational activities
sheep
<p>This picture shows a shepherd at rest, reading, while his sheep are gathered nearby. With its loving treatment of the trees and intense colour and light, Linnell’s painting carefully fabricates an ideal of the countryside as a place of plenty and ease. It was, though, created at a time when agriculture and rural labour were undergoing traumatic changes.Linnell’s depiction of the landscape reflects his passion for the scenery around his home at Redhill, Surrey. Like his friend, Samuel Palmer, he presented a vision of the British landscape rich in poetic and spiritual associations.</p><p><em>Gallery label, July 2007</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
4 February 2005 – 2 May 2005
2005-05-02
8 October 2004 – 2 January 2005
2005-01-02
2004-10-08
Menil Collection (Houston, USA)
4 February 2005 – 2 May 2005
2005-05-02
2005-02-04
Tate Modern (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
2005-02-04
Joseph Beuys: Actions, Vitrines, Environments
Exhibition
19 October 2007 – 11 January 2009
2009-01-11
19 October 2007
2007-10-19
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2007-10-19
Visionary Landscapes
Collection based display
13 February 2009 – 30 October 2010
2010-10-30
13 February 2009 – 30 October 2010
2010-10-30
2009-02-13
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2009-02-13
Visionary Landscapes
Collection based display
7 August 2014 – 24 July 2022
2022-07-24
7 August 2014
2014-08-07
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2014-08-07
Gallery 9
Collection based display
26 March 2015 – 27 May 2020
2020-05-27
26 March 2015 – 21 June 2015
2015-06-21
2015-03-26
Museo Nacional de Arte (Mexico City, Mexico)
18 July 2015 – 18 October 2015
2015-10-18
2015-07-18
Pinacoteca do Estado (São Paulo, Brazil)
27 April 2018 – 5 August 2018
2018-08-05
2018-04-27
Shanghai Art Museum (Shanghai, China)
4 September 2018 – 13 November 2018
2018-11-13
2018-09-04
National Art Museum of China (Beijing, China)
2015-03-26
British Landscape
Tate partnerships & programmes
Contemplation
support: 718 × 997 mm
frame: 1050 × 1335 × 130 mm
Presented by <a href="/search?gid=999999962" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Sir Henry Tate</a> 1894
<p>This picture shows a shepherd at rest, reading, while his sheep are gathered nearby. With its loving treatment of the trees and intense colour and light, Linnell’s painting carefully fabricates an ideal of the countryside as a place of plenty and ease. It was, though, created at a time when agriculture and rural labour were undergoing traumatic changes.Linnell’s depiction of the landscape reflects his passion for the scenery around his home at Redhill, Surrey. Like his friend, Samuel Palmer, he presented a vision of the British landscape rich in poetic and spiritual associations.</p>

Display caption
2007-07-10T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
actions: postures and motions adults animals: mammals contemplation emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas forest landscape leisure and pastimes lying down man people reading recreational activities sheep