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Artwork

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch)

Thomas Cole , 1839

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch), by Thomas Cole, oil, 1839
A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch), by Thomas Cole, oil, 1839

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist Thomas Cole. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription
Inscribed:lower left: T. Cole. / 1839

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Thomas Cole's depiction of Crawford Notch emphasizes the tension between sublime natural forces and human transformation of the landscape.

Thomas Cole's depiction of Crawford Notch emphasizes the tension between sublime natural forces and human transformation of the landscape. The painting foregrounds cleared trees and cultivated land, signaling both agricultural progress and environmental alteration, while the solitary rider, woman, child, and stagecoach suggest frontier settlement and domestic progress. The Notch itself, a dramatic V-shaped gorge, embodies the power of nature, heightened by storm clouds and twisted foreground trees that evoke the destructive flood of 1826, which Cole had earlier sketched.

This juxtaposition, between human industry and natural volatility, reflects Cole's ambivalence about westward expansion and settlement. The autumnal palette and dynamic composition convey beauty and vitality, yet the scene's instability evokes uncertainty about the balance between civilization and wilderness.

Technique & Style

Thomas Cole executed the work in oil on canvas, using a tightly woven support that measures approximately 102 cm high by 155.8 cm wide and is signed 'T. Cole./1839' in the lower left. His handling reflects the Hudson River School practice of plein-air sketching followed by studio elaboration; he recorded color and texture notes in summer sketches yet rendered the scene in an autumnal palette, applying layered glazes to capture the varied foliage, rocky terrain, and atmospheric light. The composition balances a cultivated foreground, cleared trees, a farmhouse, a rider, a woman with child, and a stagecoach, with the imposing V-shaped notch and storm-clouded sky, conveying the sublime tension between civilization and wilderness typical of his style.

History & Provenance

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) was painted by Thomas Cole in 1839, having been commissioned that year by Rufus L. Lord. Executed in oil on canvas (102 × 155.8 cm), it passed through Lord's estate into the Sturges family, Jonathan Sturges, his son Henry C. Sturges, and his widow, before being sold to LeRoy Ireland by the early 1930s. Vose Galleries of Boston acquired the painting in June 1944 and sold it to the Sanitary Scale Company in April 1945.

It passed to Kennedy Galleries, New York, in 1966 and was purchased by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on 25 May 1967, where it remains. Specific records of its public exhibition history are not provided in the available sources.

Context

Thomas Cole's 1839 canvas A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) exemplifies the Hudson River School's blend of topographic precision and moral symbolism. The work was commissioned by Rufus Lord and later passed through the Sturges family, LeRoy Ireland, Vose Galleries, and finally the National Gallery of Art, a documented provenance reflecting mid-nineteenth-century American art markets. Its subject, Crawford Notch, was a recurring motif for Cole, who linked natural grandeur with themes of progress and ruin.

Critics of the period highlighted the painting's juxtaposition of cultivated fields and untouched wilderness, interpreting it as a meditation on expansion and environmental vulnerability.

Overview

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) is an oil on canvas painting that captures a specific New England landscape. The artwork emphasizes the dramatic scale and intricate details of the natural world, presenting a powerful vision of the American wilderness. It serves as a notable example of landscape painting from its era.

An October Day in the White Mountains
An October Day in the White Mountains, John Frederick Kensett

Artist & collection

Portrait of Thomas Cole

Artist

Thomas Cole

Thomas Cole (February 1, 1801 – February 11, 1848) was an Anglo-American artist who founded the Hudson River School art movement.

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of National Gallery of Art. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.

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Frequently asked questions

Who painted A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch)?

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) was painted by Thomas Cole in 1839.

Where can I see A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch)?

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch)?

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) is associated with Hudson River School.

Can I buy a print of A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch)?

Museum-quality prints of A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.