Imagine if an artist could take millions of years to complete a single painting.

Over millions of years the natural process of water penetrating and seeping into stones, bringing with it solutions of iron and magnesium, along with other elements, leaves traces of color and forms within the stone. This, along with cracks created from pressure and channels of water, combine their lines to push up imagery of mountains and trees, creating landscapes of unmeasurable beauty.

Known under a few names, such as: scenic stone, pictorial stones, pietra paesina, marble ruiniforme, lithographic limestone, and stone Florence (there may be others too), these stones were highly prized in early modern Europe and, before that, Asia, because of the beautiful naturally created organic landscapes.

© Bill Atkins

There are three areas in particular that are known (or were known at some point in time) for these types of stones: Florence, Italy; Jasper, Oregon; and Cotham, England.

Hercules Segers

spamula.net

Artists also used these stones as a canvas adding their own hand and transforming the natural lines and shapes of the stone's face with their own paints, like the one on top painted by Dutch painter Hercules Segers, and the other one by Johann König.

wiki: Pietra Paesina

My research into these amazing stones started with this post, which then lead me here, then here. Images are from lithos-graphics.com and Bill Atkinson. Please check out all of these wonderful sites.

Inspiration from Scenic Stones

© Bill Atkins

© Bill Atkins

jamillan.com

lithosgraphics.com

lithosgraphics.com

© Bill Atkins

© Bill Atkins

© Bill Atkins

lithosgraphics.com

spamula.net

See More: lithos-graphics.com, Bill Atkinson

Read More: Pruned, Spamula, jamillan.com

Books about this topic mentioned on source sites:
Aberrations by Jurgis Baltrusaitis

"Album of Rain Flower Pebbles Treasure"
Jiangsu Ancient Book Publishing House (HK) (1989)