The Towpath

Johan Barthold Jongkind

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a landscape with a horizon in the lower third of the composition. On the left side of the painting, there are tall trees along a canal. In the center is a dirt path on the other edge of the canal, with a person riding a donkey who looks over their shoulder towards us. On the right side, there are white buildings in the distance, with a grassy field leading towards them. The light blue sky is filled with fluffy clouds, and the water of the canal reflects the sky and trees. The brushstrokes of the painting are thick and visible, especially in the sky.