Tequendama Falls near Bogotá, Colombia
June 20â30, 1853
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-264
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church, a leading figure of the Hudson River School, captured the majestic Tequendama Falls near, Colombia, in this vibrant landscape sketch from June 20–30, 1853. Created during Church's first expedition to South America, the work reflects the 19th-century American fascination with exotic natural wonders, blending Romanticism's awe for nature's sublime power with precise observation. Now part of the Smithsonian American Art's collection—gifted by Louis P. Church—this piece showcases the artist's ability to distill dramatic terrain into an intimate study. Church's rapid executi...