Saint Aegidius by the Wolfgangsee, St. Gilgen, Austria
August 8, 1868
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-1461
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Saint Aegidius by the Wolfgangsee St. Gilgen, Austria** Created by Frederic Edwin Church on August 8, 1868, this drawing captures a serene European landscape during the renowned American artist's travels abroad. Church, a leading figure in the Hudson River—a 19th-century movement celebrating the sublime beauty of nature—ventured to Austria's picturesque Wolfgangsee region near St. Gilgen. The title highlights Saint Aegidius (St. Giles), likely referencing a local chapel or landmark nestled by the lake's crystalline waters, evoking the Romantic ideal of harmonious man-made structures within ...