Edward Bowden

Rowland Suddaby was born in Kimberworth, Yorkshire, England. Suddaby studied at the Sheffield College of Art, from 1926–30, winning a scholarship there. He came to London in 1931, aged 19, married young and found it a real struggle to make a living, in those early years. However, his work was noticed by Rex Nan Kivell and consequently, he had a successful show, at the Wertheim Gallery, in London, in 1935. They were always ready to give new talented artists a showcase for their work/ Then, Rowland had a series of shows, from 1936, at the Redfern Gallery. He was regarded, by the latter, as their artist successor to Christopher Wood and he painted vigorous and atmospheric pictures, in London and Cornwall, in the mid to late 1930s, some very much in the “Wood tradition”. These paintings, in both oils and watercolors, had spontaneity and a sureness of touch, which caught the imagination of critics and collectors alike.

After the outbreak of war, Suddaby moved with his wife, Elizabeth and their daughter, Joanna to the Suffolk countryside, settling near Sudbury. He found the landscape and coastline of East Anglia, an inspiration for the trademark pictures, for which he is now most widely known. Once seen, his paintings of Suffolk fields, ponds, trees and wooden fences, remain in the memory, as they are both so evocative of the landscape and so distinctly Rowland Suddaby. During the 1940s and 50s, Suddaby continued his still-life painting, which also became very popular with visitors, to shows at the Leger Galleries and more locally, at the Colchester Art Society, of which he was also a founder member.

By the start of the 1960s, Suddaby had become increasingly interested in abstraction and started to experiment with his work, mainly in watercolor and gouache. It is, perhaps indicative of the fact, that he regarded these works as mainly for his pleasure and not for exhibition, which is why  he didn't sign them. After his death, a rich collection of these abstracts came to light, work viewed by his family and others, as a very significant contribution to his life's work as an artist. Suddaby's work was acquired by many prominent collectors and public bodies, including the V & A Museum. There are 24 examples in the Government Art Collection alone.

It could be argued that cave walls were the canvases for the world’s first landscape paintings, which depict and elevate natural scenery through art, but there is a richer history to consider.

The Netherlands was home to landscapes as a major theme in painting as early as the 1500s, and ink-on-silk paintings in China featured mountains and large bodies of water as far back as the third century. Greeks created vast wall paintings that depicted landscapes and grandiose garden scenes, while in the late 15th century and early 16th century, landscapes were increasingly the subject of watercolor works by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Bartolomeo.

The popularity of religious paintings eventually declined altogether, and by the early 19th century, painters of classical landscapes took to painting out-of-doors (plein-air painting). Paintings of natural scenery were increasingly realistic but romanticized too. Into the 20th century, landscapes remained a major theme for many artists, and while the term “landscape painting” may call to mind images of lush, grassy fields and open seascapes, the genre is characterized by more variety, colors and diverse styles than you may think. Painters working in the photorealist style of landscape painting, for example, seek to create works so lifelike that you may confuse their paint for camera pixels. But if you’re shopping for art to outfit an important room, the work needs to be something with a bit of gravitas (and the right frame is important, too).

Adding a landscape painting to your home can introduce peace and serenity within the confines of your own space. (Some may think of it as an aspirational window of sorts rather than a canvas.) Abstract landscape paintings by the likes of Korean painter Seungyoon Choi or Georgia-based artist Katherine Sandoz, on the other hand, bring pops of color and movement into a room. These landscapes refuse to serve as a background. Elsewhere, Adam Straus’s technology-inspired paintings highlight how our extreme involvement with our devices has removed us from the glory of the world around us. Influenced by modern life and steeped in social commentary, Straus’s landscape paintings make us see our surroundings anew.

Whether you’re seeking works by the world’s most notable names or those authored by underground legends, find a vast collection of landscape paintings on 1stDibs.