A Group of Trees, Catskill, New York
July 1844 and November 1844
Classification
nature studies
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-25
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
In the summer and fall of 1844, an 18-year-old Frederic Church ventured into the Catskill Mountains of New York to capture *A Group of Trees,kill, New York*. intimate nature study, completed in July and November, reflects Church's early dedication to observing the American wilderness with meticulous detail. As a protégé of Hudson River School founder Thomas Cole—whose home was nearby in the Catskills—Church was honing his skills in plein air sketching, laying the groundwork for his future masterpieces of sublime landscapes. Classified as a nature study and now part of the Smithsonian American...