The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara
Alvan Fisher
1820
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase
Accession Number
1966.82.1
Tags
Figure groupNiagara FallsrainbowHorseshoe FallsNiagara Falls
About this artwork
Two scenes by Fisher (this painting and Fisher's A General View of the Falls of Niagara) capture the thrill of visiting Niagara Falls, a site in upstate New York that quickly became a symbol of the continent's epic scale and natural beauty. Tiny figures throw out their arms as if trying to describe to one another the vastness of what they see. Elegant tourists peer decorously across the chasm through opera glasses, while one young lady covers her ears against the stupendous noise. Reckless young...