“View of Royal Road, Ramsgate,” created in 1876 in Ramsgate, United Kingdom, by Vincent van Gogh, is an exquisite example of realism, classified under the genre of sketch and study. This artwork is currently housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts a serene and tranquil scene of Royal Road in Ramsgate. The composition exhibits a delicate interplay of architectural and natural elements. The left side of the sketch features part of a stately, multi-storied building, rendered with precision, while the right side opens up to a view of lampposts lining a plain road, leading towards what appears to be a gently sloping garden area bordered with vegetation. The distant horizon suggests calm water and a vast, overcast sky, invoking a melancholic yet peaceful ambiance. The nuanced use of shading and perspective captures the quiet and reflective mood of the setting, staying true to the principles of the realism movement.
