Artwork
View in the Crystal Mountains
View in the Crystal Mountains is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist George Catlin. It dates from 1862 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The physical handling involves the application of oil paint on the card surface, which is then affixed to a rigid paperboard backing for stability.
View in the Crystal Mountains is an oil painting executed on card that has been mounted onto a paperboard support. Created in 1864 by George Catlin, the work measures 47 cm in height and 62.9 cm in width. Classified formally as a cityscape, the composition depicts mountainous terrain.
The physical handling involves the application of oil paint on the card surface, which is then affixed to a rigid paperboard backing for stability.
History & Provenance
The painting View in the Crystal Mountains was created by George Catlin in 1864. It remained in his possession until his death in 1872, after which it descended to his daughters, Clara Gregory Catlin, Louise Catlin Kinney, and Elizabeth Wing Catlin. In 1912, Elizabeth Wing Catlin sold the work to the American Museum of Natural History.
The painting was later acquired by Mr. Paul Mellon in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries in New York. Mellon gifted it to the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) in 1965, where it remains in the collection.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is accessioned as 1965.1.13.
It was purchased in 1912 from Elizabeth Wing Catlin by the American Museum of Natural History, then sold in 1959 through Kennedy Galleries, New York, to Paul Mellon, who donated it to the National Gallery of Art in 1965.
Overview
George Catlin's View in the Crystal Mountains, painted in 1862, is an oil on card mounted on paperboard depicting a serene mountain landscape. This work represents a facet of American folk art and reflects Catlin's sustained interest in natural environments. While distinct from his earlier ethnographic portraits, it showcases his continued engagement with the American wilderness.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a mountain landscape characterized by its simplicity and tranquil atmosphere. Trees and rocky formations populate the scene, rendered with a directness typical of folk art. The composition evokes a sense of quietude, suggesting an intention to convey peace or calm through the depiction of an undisturbed natural setting.
Context
George Catlin, who transitioned from law to painting, gained recognition for his extensive documentation of Native American cultures during his travels through the American West in the 1830s. His earlier work predominantly featured portraits and scenes of Plains Indian life. View in the Crystal Mountains, created decades later in 1862, demonstrates Catlin's enduring fascination with the natural world, even as his subject matter shifted from ethnographic studies to pure landscape.
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Artist & collection
Artist
George Catlin ( KAT-lin; July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the American frontier.
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