In 1864, Martin Johnson Heade completed the painting “Brazilian Forest,” which is now displayed at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. Measuring 20 x 16 inches and painted in oil on canvas, Heade’s artwork depicts an enormous tree fern frond in the lower right corner and tiny figures against a dense jungle environment. Notably, “Brazilian Forest” features a vast scale that captures the density of the forest through a unique visual perspective.
Heade was an American painter recognized for his salt marsh landscapes, seascapes depictions of tropical birds and still lifes. This painting marked a significant departure from romanticism art typical at that time due to its emphasis on nature’s rugged beauty rather than human emotion. Completed in his London studio efficiently before its sale to Governor Henry Lippitt of Rhode Island.
This painting’s hand-painted oil reproduction is available for purchase by collectors looking to capture Heade’s stunning vision themselves. With towering ferns surrounding delicate human subjects on this mesmerizing oil canvas piece – Brazilian Forest boasts both an exceptional representation of nature and classic line-work different from other Heade naturescape work.
