In the Catskills
Artist:
Thomas Doughty
(American, 1793 - 1856)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
28 1/2 x 36 in. (72.4 x 91.4 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Frederic G. Oppenheimer
Object number: 45.146.1
Label Text
On a summer’s day, visitors to a lake in New York’s Catskills Mountains enjoy sailing. The great contrasts between the scale of the massive trees framing the lake and the small figures about to set forth in their boat, emphasize the grandeur of nature and the insignificance of humanity next to it.
Thomas Doughty painted a series of similar views of the Catskills in the middle 1830s. Scenes of placid nature such as this were popular with urban viewers, who already felt unease over the increasing spread of settlements in the young United States. Initially trained as a currier—someone who processed tanned hides to be waterproof—Doughty taught himself to paint. He based his landscapes first on engravings of European landscapes; then, in works such as this one, he combined that influence with direct observation of nature from his travels.
(William Keyse Rudolph, 2014)
Thomas Doughty painted a series of similar views of the Catskills in the middle 1830s. Scenes of placid nature such as this were popular with urban viewers, who already felt unease over the increasing spread of settlements in the young United States. Initially trained as a currier—someone who processed tanned hides to be waterproof—Doughty taught himself to paint. He based his landscapes first on engravings of European landscapes; then, in works such as this one, he combined that influence with direct observation of nature from his travels.
(William Keyse Rudolph, 2014)
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
