Jonathan Trim Early Morning

Jonathan Trim was born in 1948 in Leigh on Sea Essex by the Thames Estuary, an area that has always been a vital source of inspiration. Jonathan studied Art at Southend School of Art and Leeds University/Huddersfield Polytechnic. Over the years he has established a reputation for paintings of atmospheric landscapes. Jonathan works from his studio near the Thames estuary often beginning the work out in the location. The environments of estuaries, rivers and the low lying wetlands of Britain and the landscape of France are his constant sources of inspiration. He spends time every summer painting in South West France. He has developed a deep awareness and intense relationship to these types of landscapes. His works are imbued with a deep sense of time and memory resulting in paintings that are rich in personal responses. His work is always about the spirit of the place and the feelings of connection and continuity. His painting methods frequently use textural materials from these areas which are embedded into the paint creating an interesting surface texture to the work. Trim applies color using a wide variety of techniques to capture the flickering light and atmosphere of these locations. The paintings are about the ever-changing qualities of light and the sounds and feelings of existing in these landscapes. Jonathan Trim’s paintings have been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He has been featured in a variety of National Art magazines and he has received various awards and critical success.

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.