Landscape Sketch, Mount Desert, Maine
August 19, 1856
Medium
landscapes
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1942-50-144
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Daniel Huntington's *Landscape Sketch, Mount Desert, Maine*, dated August 19, 1856, captures the rugged beauty of one of America's most dramatic coastal landscapes. Painted on location during a summer sketching trip, this work reflects the 19th-century American artist's deep appreciation for the nation's wild frontiers. Huntington (1816–1906), a prominent figure in the Hudson River School tradition, often blended meticulous realism with a sense of sublime nature, emphasizing light, atmosphere, and expansive vistas in his landscapes. Mount Desert Island, off the coast of Maine, was a magnet fo...