Lake Maggiore May 12 1869 (recto, from sketchbook)
1869
Medium
Graphite, white gouache, watercolor, on blue paper
Dimensions
4 1/2 x 9 in. (11.4 x 22.9 cm)
Classification
Watercolor
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Morris K. Jesup Fund, 1982
Accession Number
1982.217.10b
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jervis McEntee, a prominent American landscape painter associated with Hudson River School, created *Lake Maggiore May 12 1869 (recto, from sketch)* during his travels in Europe. This intimate sketch captures the tranquil beauty of Italy's Lake Maggiore, a picturesque alpine lake favored by 19th-century Grand Tour visitors. Dated precisely to May 12, it reflects McEntee's of documenting scenes on the spot, blending his keen observation of nature with the Romantic emphasis on sublime landscapes. Executed on blue paper—a clever choice that evokes sky and water—the work employs graphite for prec...
About the Artist
Jervis McEntee · 1828–1891
Hudson River School painter who divided his time between a studio in the Tenth Street Studio Building in New York and the Hudson River. He specialized in sober autumnal and winter landscapes.