Paper

Student Artwork Guide

In the Grass (second version)

Arthur Hughes, 1864

Name Class Date
Arthur Hughes, In the Grass (second version) (1864). Public domain.

The facts

Artist
Arthur Hughes artsdot.com/en/artists/arthur-hughes/
Artist’s dates
1832 – 1915
Painted
1864
Movement
Pre-Raphaelite British painters returning to bright colour and sharp detail, rejecting everything taught after Raphael.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Arthur Hughes died in 1915; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1985.

Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Aug. 27, 2026

In the Grass (second version) — Arthur Hughes Part 1 · The artwork

In context

In the Grass (second version) — Arthur Hughes

When was this painted?

  1. 1830
  2. 1840
  3. 1850
  4. 1860
  5. 1870
  6. 1880
  7. 1890
  8. 1900
  9. 1910

Shaded: the lifetime of Arthur Hughes (1832–1915) ▲ this work, 1864

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/arthur-hughes-in-the-grass-second-version-8DP2VU-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Putty #d5bdb2

    Catalogued palette

    • #D5BDB2
    • #120D0E
    • #AD8978
    • #6B3528
    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Putty
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Aug. 27, 2026

    In the Grass (second version) — Arthur Hughes Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Arthur Hughes

    Born in Pimlico, United Kingdom

    early life and training

    arthur hughes, a british painter and illustrator associated with the pre-raphaelite brotherhood, was born in london on january 27, 1832. in 1846, he entered the art school at somerset house, where his first master was alfred stevens. later, he attended the royal academy schools, where he met john everett millais and holman hunt, becoming a part of the pre-raphaelite group of painters.

    notable works and style

    hughes' first picture, musidora, was exhibited at the royal academy when he was just 17. he continued to contribute to the royal academy and later to the grosvenor and new gallery exhibitions almost annually. his best-known works include april love and the long engagement, which depict troubled couples contemplating the transience of love and beauty, inspired by john everett millais's earlier "couple" paintings.

    personal life and legacy

    in 1855, hughes married tryphena foord, who was his model for april love. he died in kew green, london, on december 22, 1915, leaving behind approximately 700 known paintings and drawings, along with over 750 book illustrations. his daughter, emily, had to destroy his preparatory sketches and private papers due to a shortage of space after her mother's death in 1921.

    artistic style and influences

    magical, glowing coloring and delicate draughtsmanship characterize hughes' works. he was also influenced by the writer george macdonald, for whom he illustrated some books, and produced numerous illustrations for norman macleod's monthly magazine, good words.

    view more of arthur hughes' artworks on AllPaintingsStore

    read more about arthur hughes on wikipedia

    explore the timeline of art movements to understand the context of pre-raphaelite art

    key works and exhibitions

    - april love, 1855 (exhibited at grosvenor gallery) - the long engagement, 1862 (exhibited at new gallery) - musidora, 1849 (exhibited at the royal academy)

    notable museums and collections

    - toledo museum of art (features hughes' ophelia) - victoria and albert museum (holds several of hughes' illustrations)

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for In the Grass (second version)

    artsdot.com/en/art/download/arthur-hughes-in-the-grass-second-version-8DP2VU-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Hughes, Arthur. In the Grass (second version). 1864, https://artsdot.com/en/art/arthur-hughes-in-the-grass-second-version-8DP2VU-en/
    APA
    Hughes, Arthur (1864). In the Grass (second version) [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/arthur-hughes-in-the-grass-second-version-8DP2VU-en/
    Chicago
    Arthur Hughes. In the Grass (second version). 1864. https://artsdot.com/en/art/arthur-hughes-in-the-grass-second-version-8DP2VU-en/
    Harvard
    Hughes, Arthur (1864) In the Grass (second version). Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/arthur-hughes-in-the-grass-second-version-8DP2VU-en/

    Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Aug. 27, 2026

    In the Grass (second version) — Arthur Hughes Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    In the Grass (second version) — Arthur Hughes

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: portrait, romanticism, garden. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at April Love (1855), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Pre-Raphaelite: British painters returning to bright colour and sharp detail, rejecting everything taught after Raphael. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.