Botanical Sketches, Vermont
October 6, 1865
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-1134
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church, a leading figure of the Hudson River School, created *Botanical Sketches, Vermont* on October 6, 1865. This drawing captures the artist's keen observation of New England's flora during a period of personal and national reflection, just months after the Civil War's end. Church, renowned for his luminous landscapes like *Niagara* and *Heart of the Andes*, frequently produced on-site sketches to study nature's intricacies, informing his monumental canvases that celebrated America's wild beauty. As a preparatory drawing—its exact medium yet to be determined—these botanical ...