The Most Evocative and Beautiful Paintings About Autumn

OK, we have to admit it. As much as we enjoy the summer, we absolutely adore the fall. So we decided to take a journey through the world of paintings to find the most influential, beautiful, famous and evocative masterpieces – both historical and contemporary – on the season of autumn and the joys of fall. Across time and culture, city or countryside, abstract or representational, there are universal elements of fall that are expressed in stunning ways in works on paper. Our correspondent Abbie Martin Greenbaum has curated a list of some of the most stunning paintings about autumn we could find; they will evoke the best of the fall season, no matter when you view them.

Beautiful and Evocative Paintings about Autumn

It’s hard to believe that we are already a third of the way through autumn. Depending on where you live, you may be able to enjoy a little bit of that seasonal glow right outside your window. 

But no matter what, there’s one place you can always find those signature golden hues: in art. 

Art of all kinds can enhance our experience of the current moment. And what better moment to try to suspend in time than a perfect fall day?

These twenty paintings, a mix of classic and contemporary, all contain a sliver of that magical moment when the world seems to hold its breath. You can expect robust reds and oranges, plenty of majestic treetops, and even a cozy interior or two. 

The Most Evocative and Beautiful Paintings about Autumn

1. Autumn Oaks by George Inness (1878)

The American painter completed this work shortly after returning from a four-year voyage across Europe. The influence of his time abroad is evident here, where his style visibly shifts away from his previous, more naturalistic way of painting. This work was donated by George I. Seney to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in 1887, where it remains today. 

2. Shawanagunk Mountains by Jervis McEntee (1863)

McEntee was an American painter of the Hudson River School, the art movement known for its landscapes of the Hudson River Valley in New York. McEntee’s autumn paintings are often dark and brooding, depicting the colorful season at its moody conclusion. 

 

3. Autumn Effect at Argenteuil by Claude Monet (1873)

In this work, Monet depicted the small town of Argenteuil seen from a branch of the river Seine. But the artist’s focus is less on the village than on the effects of the autumn season: the reflections on the water and the array of colors in the trees. The overall mood is one of careful observation and appreciation for a fleeting moment of beauty.

4. Autumn on the River (or Miss Violet Sargent) by John Singer Sargent (1889)

Italian-born American painter Sargent was renowned for his full-body portraiture, many of which featured female subjects. People would travel from all over the world for a chance to sit for one of his paintings.  

5. Birch Forest by Gustav Klimt (1903)

The Austrian painter uses color and size to a dynamic effect, creating the look of a forest that is almost three dimensional. This work was held for many years in the Osterreichische Galerie, before being returned to the heirs of its original owner in 2006.  

6. Autumn Festival by Willard Metcalf (1915)

Metcalf was an Impressionist painter born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1858. He went on to become a renowned landscapist, depicting the joys of all four seasons in many of his paintings. 

7. Autumn Foliage by Tom Thomson (1915)

Though the Canadian artist lived to only thirty-nine years old, he produced more than four hundred works over his career. This painting is currently in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario.  

8. Autumn at Lake Towada by Yasui Sōtarō (1935)

Sōtarō was born in 1888 in Kyoto, Japan, and moved to Paris at nineteen to study at the Académie Julian. This particular woodblock print is currently in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.  

9. Autumn at Saruiwa, Shiobara by Hasui Kawase (1949)

Kawase was one of the most prominent artists of Japan’s new print movement, known for the way he often depicted landscapes. 

10. Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) by Jackson Pollock (1950)

One of Pollock’s best-known works, this was made in the artist’s signature style, with paint poured, dripped, and splattered on the canvas using every imaginable method. It was first shown at the Betty Parsons Gallery, and you can find it today at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The chaos of the piece speaks to autumn’s quiet intensity, as does the color scheme. 

11. Cover of the New Yorker, October 20, 1980 by Jean-Jacques Sempé (1980)

The French artist is best known for his career as a cartoonist, as well as for his series of children’s books, Le petit Nicolas. His art regularly appeared as the cover of The New Yorker, as seen here in this lovely celebration of autumn in New York.

12. Autumn Colors by Higashiyama Kaii (1986)

Created in Ichikawa, Japan, this was no doubt inspired by the contemporary painter’s deep love of nature. 

13. Autumn by Kara Walker (2008)

This piece was made using the artist’s trademark layering of different papers.   

14. Portrait of Mnonja by Mickalene Thomas (2010)

So much of the joy of autumn can come from our collective retreat to cozy, warm interiors. This work, incorporating Thomas’s signature rhinestones, enamel and acrylic, can be found at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. 

15. Misty Lake by Graham Gercken (2012)

The Australian artist has an entire collection of autumn works. All of them make whimsical use of the season’s warm light, and the way it illuminates his natural subjects. 

16. Floating on Clouds by Teresa Saia

Saia is an artist from Washington State, known for her use of pastels, oils and watercolors. Her work is highly influenced by the beauty of her studio’s location on Whidbey Island. 

17. Lovers’ Stroll by Stacey Torres

Torres is a prolific folk artist, who turned to the practice later in life, as a method of self-therapy. Many of her colorful, imaginative images are available for purchase on her website. 

18. Poet’s Walk by Lorraine Christie

Christie is a contemporary Irish painter, whose work has found global recognition in recent years.  

19. Every Woman by Monica Stewart

Originally from St. Louis, Stewart showed her first artistic impulses at a young age. She’s since gone onto much acclaim in artistic circles, and has had her work featured in solo and group exhibitions. You may even recognize her style from television, where it’s been featured on numerous occasions. The color palette in this painting is highly reminiscent of the season. 

20. Fall Trees Reflection by Cathy Horvath-Buchanan

Horvath-Buchanan is a working artist from Ontario, Canada, whose dream is to help people make their homes that much cozier through the presence of her art. And it doesn’t get much cozier than the season of autumn – she’s found the right subject. 

The Most Evocative and Beautiful Paintings about Autumn

That’s it – our picks for some of the most beautiful and moving paintings about the glorious season of autumn and the joys of fall. What’s your favorite painting on this topic?

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Abbie Martin Greenbaum grew up in New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn, where she drinks a lot of coffee and matches roommates together for a living. At Oberlin College, she studied English and Cinema, which are still two of her favorite things, along with dessert and musical theater. She believes in magic.

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