Landscape with Rainbow, Henley-on-Thames
- Artist: Jan Siberechts
- Date: c.1690
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 819 x 1029 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Landscape with Rainbow, Henley-on‑Thames” by Jan Siberechts, painted around 1690. The oil on canvas shows a gentle river scene that Siberechts would have painted for a landowner proud of his holdings. Notice how the barge pulls along the Thames – it reminds us that waterways were the lifeblood of trade and daily life. The artist, a Flemish painter living in England, loved “bird‑eye” views, so the composition is a little skewed, but that distortion gives the painting an almost cinematic quality.
A striking feature is the rainbow arcing over the town, a natural touch that ties the scene together. On the right you can spot the church, still standing in the landscape. The overall effect is realistic but slightly embellished – Siberechts wanted to capture not just the scene but the mood. He worked this style into a series of views of English country houses and rivers, each piece balancing accuracy with a narrative of wealth and nature. This painting is a snapshot of 17th‑century England’s riverside life, with a dash of heavenly color to finish it off.
See it in person
Landscape with Rainbow, Henley-on-Thames is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
