'In front of Nature' is the first monograph to feature the work of Thomas Fearnley (1802-1842), a major artist in the tradition of the great romantics like Caspar David Friedrich, J.C. Dahl and J.M.W.Turner. This volume reveals the full range of Fearnley's landscape paintings, from large oils to spontaneous sketches, which he produced 'en plein air' during his summer travels. Fearnley's entire career is considered: Frode Ernst Haverkamp studies his Norwegian upbringing and influence, David Jackson looks at his extensive travels to artistic centres in Italy and Germany, including Dresden where he studied under J. C. Dahl, and his return to Norway via the Swiss Alps and Britain. Ann Sumner studies the artist's little-known British paintings, including his tour of the Lake District and involvement with the Etching Society. Greg Smith focuses on how Fearnley appears in his own landscape studies and in a new type of contemporary painting: gatherings of artists in social settings.