Calm Excursion
1919
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.10.424
Art Historical Context
**Calm Excursion** is a delicate etching created by Hans Thoma in 1919, part of the National Gallery of Art's Rosen Collection in the Prints department (CG-E). Thoma, a prominent German artist (1839–1924), was renowned for his lyrical landscapes and mythological scenes, blending Romanticism's reverence for nature with Symbolist undertones of mysticism and emotion. This late-career work captures a serene moment, evoking tranquility amid the post-World War I era, when Europe sought solace in art's quiet beauty. Etching, Thoma's favored medium here, allowed for intricate line work and tonal subt...
About the Artist
Hans Thoma
Hans Thoma (1839-1924) was a distinguished German painter often celebrated as the "Painter of the Black Forest" for his deep connection to the landscapes and folklore of his native region in southwestern Germany. Born to a miller's family in the Black Forest village of Bernau, Thoma rose from humble origins to become one of Germany's most respected artists and eventually director of the prestigiou...