A Stream, Bridge, Trees and Two Figures in a Landscape 

John Crome painted 'A Stream, Bridge, Trees and Two Figures in a Landscape' in oil on canvas, sometime in the early 19th century. The materials here are entirely traditional: canvas stretched over a wooden frame, ground pigments mixed with oil. But the way Crome deployed these materials is distinctive. Look closely, and you’ll see a real dynamism in the brushwork. The paint is applied thinly in some areas, thickly in others, creating a textured surface that catches the light. Crome was working at a time when industrialization was transforming the English landscape. Yet here, he seems to offer a vision of rural life untouched by these changes. The figures on horseback and the rustic bridge suggest a timeless connection to nature. Even the way he handles the paint contributes to this impression. It’s as if the landscape itself is being built up, layer by layer, with the same care and attention that a craftsman might give to a handmade object. This intimate engagement with materials and processes is key to appreciating Crome’s art. He reminds us that even the most seemingly straightforward landscape painting is the product of skillful making.