Cottonwood Bench Above River, Cache la Poudre River
1996, printed 1999
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 34.7 × 43.8 cm (13 11/16 × 17 1/4 in.) sheet: 40.2 × 50.4 cm (15 13/16 × 19 13/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jeanne and Richard S. Press
Accession Number
2014.162.4
Art Historical Context
In the serene "Cottonwood Bench Above, Cache la Poudre" (1996, printed 1999), photographer William Wylie captures a moment along Colorado's Cache la Poudre River—one of the first rivers designated as Wild and Scenic under U.S. federal protection in 1968. The gelatin silver print, a traditional black-and-white process prized for its rich tonal gradations and fine detail, depicts a simple wooden bench nestled beneath cottonwood trees, overlooking the winding waterway. Wylie's work often explores the American West's rural landscapes, blending human-made elements with untamed nature to evoke solit...