The Beginning of Autumn (Monument Mountain near Stockbridge)(from McGuire Scrapbook)

James Henry Moser's gouache landscape The Beginning of Autumn, created in 1900 and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been recognized for its nuanced portrayal of American scenery. Scholars have highlighted its role in early 20th-century landscape painting, particularly in how Moser balanced topographical accuracy with atmospheric sensitivity. The work's inclusion in major museum collections has contributed to ongoing reassessments of American regionalism, influencing later artists' approaches to naturalistic representation.

Created in 1900, this gouache work by James Henry Moser portrays a solitary mountain rising behind a stand of golden trees. The composition is rendered on blue wove paper that has been mounted on an off‑white Bristol board, giving the scene a cool, atmospheric backdrop that suggests the early light of autumn.

The piece originates from the McGuire Scrapbook, a collection that documented regional scenes in the early twentieth century. It now belongs to the American Wing, where it is displayed alongside other works that document New England’s landscape during the period.

At the turn of the century, American artists increasingly turned to watercolor and gouache for rapid, on‑site studies of the countryside. Moser’s treatment reflects this trend, emphasizing immediacy and atmospheric effects over detailed realism, aligning his work with broader movements toward impressionistic observation in American landscape painting.