Paper

Student Artwork Guide

By the River

Name Class Date

Charles Robertson, By the River. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Charles Robertson wahooart.com/en/artists/charles-robertson/
Artist’s dates
1844 – 1891

In context

By the River — Charles Robertson

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1840
  2. 1850
  3. 1860
  4. 1870
  5. 1880
  6. 1890

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 47 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Charles Robertson (1844–1891) every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/charles-robertson-by-the-river-9HTMKM-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #2a250f

    Catalogued palette

    • #2A250F
    • #9AA173
    • #51481E
    • #777951

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Charles Robertson over the last twelve months — 2 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 90.0%900 visits
    2. 2 Myanmar 10.0%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 9 most looked-at works by Charles Robertson

    1. 1 By the River this painting 23.1%300 visits
    2. 2 La Douleur du Pacha from 'Les Orientales' 15.4%200 visits
    3. 3 The Entrance To The Mosque 15.4%200 visits
    4. 4 Carpet Bazaar, Cairo 7.7%100 visits
    5. 5 Shoes Of Religious Moslems In Front Of A Mosque 7.7%100 visits
    6. 6 In the name of the Prophet, Alms 7.7%100 visits
    7. 7 The Wailing Wall, in Jerusalem 7.7%100 visits
    8. 8 Arab traders, Cairo 7.7%100 visits
    9. 9 Portrait of a Man, 1810 7.7%100 visits

    Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 15 works by this artist, of which 9 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 1 of them, with 23.1% of that attention (300 visits). The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Charles Robertson

    Born in United Kingdom

    early life and training

    charles robertson, a renowned british painter, was born in 1844 in walton-on-thames. he studied art in london during the early 1860s under the influence of myles birket foster, a celebrated watercolorist.

    artistic career

    robertson's artistic career is marked by his extensive travels to north africa, turkey, and the middle east. his first trip to algeria in 1862 sparked a series of journeys that would provide him with inspiration for his future works. in 1872, he visited turkey, followed by egypt and morocco in 1876.

    notable works

    some of robertson's notable works include:

    a khan in damascus, a watercolor piece showcasing his skill in capturing the essence of middle eastern architecture. (view on AllPaintingsStore)

    the mount of olives from jerusalem, a painting that demonstrates his ability to convey the serenity of the holy land. (view on AllPaintingsStore)

    irises and cow parsley, a piece that highlights his experimentation with colors and textures. (view on AllPaintingsStore)

    poppies on a river bank, another example of his watercolor work, showcasing his mastery of the medium. (view on AllPaintingsStore)

    legacy and exhibitions

    robertson's work was exhibited at the royal academy from 1863 to 1865, as well as at suffolk street and the old watercolour society. a major retrospective of his work was staged by the fine art society in 1892, consisting of 130 watercolor drawings. notable collections: - the walker art gallery in liverpool - the national gallery of australia in canberra view charles robertson's collection on AllPaintingsStore

    references

    - biography @ wikipedia - charles robertson on AllPaintingsStore

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for By the River

    wahooart.com/en/art/download/charles-robertson-by-the-river-9HTMKM-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Robertson, Charles. By the River. n.d., https://wahooart.com/en/art/charles-robertson-by-the-river-9HTMKM-en/
    APA
    Robertson, Charles (n.d.). By the River [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/charles-robertson-by-the-river-9HTMKM-en/
    Chicago
    Charles Robertson. By the River. n.d. https://wahooart.com/en/art/charles-robertson-by-the-river-9HTMKM-en/
    Harvard
    Robertson, Charles (n.d.) By the River. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/charles-robertson-by-the-river-9HTMKM-en/

    Look closely

    By the River — Charles Robertson

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: rivers. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Carpet Bazaar, Cairo, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Questions & Answers

    How light is "By the River" overall?

    The perceived brightness of "By the River" by Charles Robertson is shadow. It can be matched to the light of the intended space.

    How strong are the colors of "By the River"?

    The color of "By the River" is balanced soft in saturation and balanced in intensity.

    Where can I buy a digital image of "By the River" by Charles Robertson?

    A digital image of "By the River" by Charles Robertson can be purchased on its Digital Image page: a high-resolution digital image download.