Washington Irving's Library at Sunnyside
March 16, 1860
Medium
interiors
Classification
interiors
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1942-50-156
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the cozy intellectual haven of Washington Irving's library Sunnyside, his beloved home in Tarry, New York, as captured by American artist Daniel Huntington in this 1860 painting. Created just months after Irving's death in November 1859, the work immortalizes the cluttered, book-lined sanctuary where the famed author of *Rip Van Winkle* andThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow* penned his enduring tales. Huntington, a 19th-century painter associated with the Hudson River School known for his realistic portraits and scenes, masterfully renders the room's intimate details—shelves groaning with v...