Four Floating Icebergs, Canada
June-July 1859
Medium
seascapes
Classification
seascapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-1196
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church, leading figure of the Hudson River School, the raw majesty of nature in *Four Floating Icebergs,*, painted during his 1859 expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. In June-July of that year, Church sketched directly from the icy Labrador coast, inspired by dramatic reports of Arctic exploration and the discovery of the abandoned ship *Resolute* embedded in ice. This seascape reflects the era's fascination with polar wilderness, blending scientific curiosity with Romantic awe for untamed landscapes. Church's luminous style, characterized by meticulous detail and glowing ...