Artwork
Lake George
Lake George is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist John William Casilear. It dates from 1851 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: Casilear estate stamp
About this work
Technique & Style
John William Casilear's 'Lake George' (1851) is an oil-on-canvas landscape painting, a medium and support common to mid-19th-century American art.
John William Casilear's 'Lake George' (1851) is an oil-on-canvas landscape painting, a medium and support common to mid-19th-century American art. The canvas measures approximately 64.8 by 114.9 cm, yielding a horizontal format that emphasizes the expansive view. The work depicts Lake George with its shore, hills, mountains, sky, clouds, and trees, arranging these elements in a balanced, naturalistic composition typical of the period.
The oil medium enables subtle tonal transitions in the sky and water, though specific brushwork or handling is not documented. No remarks on the painting's condition are available in the sources.
History & Provenance
John William Casilear painted Lake George in 1851. The work remained with the artist's family, owned by his niece Josephine E. Harrison of Peconic, New York. She gifted the painting to the Corcoran Gallery of Art on April 12, 1897.
The Corcoran held the work until the National Gallery of Art acquired it in 2014. No commission is recorded; the painting appears to have been a personal work retained by the artist and his heirs.
The painting is held at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it was acquired in 2014. It was previously in the collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, having been gifted on 12 April 1897 by the artist's niece, Josephine E. Harrison. No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
John William Casilear's oil painting, Lake George, presents a serene landscape rendered with soft illumination. The composition features tranquil water, a rocky shoreline, and rolling hills receding into the background. Trees frame the edges of the canvas in green, contributing to a sense of natural enclosure and peacefulness within the scene.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork captures a quiet moment in nature, emphasizing the placid surface of Lake George under a gentle light. The visual elements, calm water, verdant foliage, and distant topography, combine to create an atmosphere of secluded repose. The painting evokes the stillness of a late afternoon, inviting contemplation of the natural world.
Artist & collection
