A Rest by the Way (Open Landscape with Figures, Donkey and Horses). Artist: Thomas Gainsborough (British, Sudbury 1727-1788 London). Dimensions: sheet: 9 1/8 x 10 7/8 in. (23.2 x 27.7 cm). Date: ca. 1780.Using brown wash defined by a pen strokes, Gainsborough constructs a landscape from a few elements--a traveler sits on a bank near his dog and loaded donkey, trees border a path, and a rider moves into the distance. The apparent simplicity belies the artist's sophisticated mastery of abstract principles, and the drawing dates to his London period--which began in 1774 after his move from Bath. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.