Palisades (No. 19 of The Hudson River Portfolio)
Medium
Aquatint with watercolor; proof before letters
Dimensions
image: 14 1/2 x 21 7/16 in. (36.9 x 54.5 cm) plate: 17 15/16 x 24 1/4 in. (45.6 x 61.6 cm) sheet: 20 5/16 x 27 3/4 in. (51.7 x 70.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954
Accession Number
54.90.601
Tags
About this artwork
"Palisades" stands as a landmark achievement in American printmaking and landscape appreciation. Created in 1823-24 as the nineteenth plate in the Hudson River Portfolio, this aquatint with watercolor resulted from the collaboration of three key figures: William Guy Wall, who sketched and painted the original watercolor during his 1820 tour of the Hudson River; John Hill, the London-trained aquatint engraver who transformed Wall's vision into printable form; and Henry J. Megarey, the publisher w...
Art Historical Context
"Palisades," the nineteenth plate from the groundbreaking *Hudson River Portfolio* (182–24), captures the majestic cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River. These towering formations, rising 350 to 550 feet and crowned with trees, embody the "savage grandeur of America's natural wonders. Created through a remarkable collaboration, Irish-born artist William Guy Wall the scene during his 1820 Hudson River; London-trained engraver John Hill transformed it an aquatint print and publisher Henry J. Megarey brought it to life. This proof before letters showcases the artwork in its purest ...