Mountains near Toluca, Mexico
1883â1884
Medium
landscapes
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-1204
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church, preeminent American landscape painter of the Hudson River School1826–1900), captured the majestic beauty of the natural world in works that blended romantic grandeur with scientific precision. *Mountains near Tolu, Mexico* (1883–1884) exemplifies his late-career fascination with exotic locales beyond his familiar American scenes. Painted during a period when Church grappled with rheumatoid arthritis, which limited his mobility and led him to rely on assistants, this landscape reflects his enduring passion for distant horizons, likely inspired by travels or studies of Mex...