Rivers on Canvas

The Fighting Temeraire, tugged to her last berth to be broken up 1839 J.M.W. Turner

English artist J.M.W. Turner is remembered as one of the greatest landscape and maritime artists of the Romanticism period. This artwork is considered to be among his greatest paintings. The painting depicts one of the British Navy’s famed warships used during the war against Spain and France during the Napoleonic Era. The ship is being tugged along on the Thames.

The Hay Wain 1821 John Constable

English artist John Constable was known for his landscapes in the early 19th century. He created amazing landscapes of the English countryside. This artwork depicts a farmer and three horses pulling a wagon with hay or hay wain across the river.

La Grenouillere 1869 Pierre-Auguste Renoir

French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir is one of the most prominent members of the Impressionist movement. This artwork is one of his most memorable paintings. It depicts a scene on the Seine River where a group of people are gathered on a small island in the middle of the river.

Bathers by a River 1917 Henri Matisse

French artist Henri Matisse is one of the most famous painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is known for creating artworks in such styles as Impressionism and Fauvism. The artist created paintings of nude bathers near water. This artwork is among his well-known paintings depicting four nude figures bathing in a river in the Fauvism style with an emphasis on color and bold outlines.

River Landscape with Ferry 1649 Salomon van Ruysdael

Dutch artist Salomon van Ruysdael is one of the lesser-known artists from the 17th century. He was a landscape artist of the Dutch Golden Age. Many of his paintings were done in the Baroque style. He created this artwork as a beautiful scene along the Rhine River. A castle can be seen in the background.

American Artists

The Oxbow 1836 Thomas Cole

American artist Thomas Cole was a talented landscape artist in the early 19th century. He was the founder of the famous Hudson River School in the US in New York State. This artwork is one of his most famous paintings depicting the untamed wilderness that drew many Americans during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in a portion that is now the US state of Connecticut. The painting shows a view of a bend in the Connecticut River. On land, you can see fields, cultivated lands, and farm animals.

*The painting is the very first picture above

Katterskill Falls 1826 Thomas Cole

American artist Thomas Cole created this river painting of a well-known waterfall located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The waterfall is made up of two cascades one directly above the other. The artist created this painting from the perspective of being inside the upper waterfall. Today this location is a major tourist attraction and part of Spruce Creek running through most of the eastern Catskill Mountains.

Valley of the Yosemite 1864 Albert Bierstadt

German-American artist Albert Bierstadt was known for his landscapes of the American West. He was another member of the Hudson River School. This painting is one of his most celebrated artworks. It depicts the Yosemite Valley where the Merced River flows past giant granite cliffs.

Washington Crossing the Delaware 1851 Emanuel Leutze

German-American artist Emanuel Leutze created this artwork about 75 years after the event occurred. It was painted to commemorate the famous maneuver that led to the American forces' victory over the British. The painting depicts George Washington leading his troops across the Delaware River on Christmas night to defeat the Hessian forces stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. In the painting' George Washington stands on the prow of a small boat with Lieutenant James Monroe behind him holding the American flag.