River and Mountain Peaks, Berchtesgaden, Germany
Medium
landscapes
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-564
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church, leading figure of the Hudson River School, captured the dramatic majesty of the Bavarian Alps in *River and Mountain Peaks,chtesgaden,*, painted en plein air in July 1868. This intimate landscape depicts a rushing river carving through towering peaks near Berchtesgaden, a picturesque region in southern Germany celebrated for its sublime natural beauty. Church, renowned for his luminous and meticulously detailed vistas, traveled extensively in Europe during the 186s, seeking inspiration beyond his native American wilderness—a shift reflecting the era's growing transatlant...