Artwork
Sidney Plains with the Union of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers
Sidney Plains with the Union of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Jasper Francis Cropsey. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the confluence of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers at Sidney Plains, capturing a specific geographic junction in the American landscape.
The painting depicts the confluence of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers at Sidney Plains, capturing a specific geographic junction in the American landscape. The composition centers on the meeting of these two waterways, framed by natural elements including hills, trees, and clouds under a sky illuminated by the sun. As a landscape work, the piece focuses on the physical reality of the site, presenting the rivers, sky, and surrounding terrain as the primary subjects. The imagery emphasizes the union of the waters, a central motif that defines the location's identity.
The work represents the serene and expansive character of the New York countryside during the late 19th century. By rendering the sky, clouds, and the specific flow of the rivers, the artist highlights the natural beauty and atmospheric conditions of the scene. The depiction serves as a record of this particular landscape, celebrating the visual harmony of the rivers merging within their natural setting.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 106.9 cm in height by 182.5 cm in width. The handling shows Cropsey’s characteristic layered brushwork, with carefully modulated tones to render the luminosity of sky and water.
Compositionally, the painting centers on the confluence of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers, framed by a dense arrangement of trees and hills that recede into atmospheric distance. The stylistic emphasis on topographic clarity and luminous color aligns with the artist’s mature Hudson River School manner, balancing descriptive detail with a harmonious, panoramic effect.
History & Provenance
Sidney Plains with the Union of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers was created by Jasper Francis Cropsey in 1874, executed in oil paint on canvas. The painting depicts the confluence of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers near Sidney Plains, a subject Cropsey returned to multiple times in his Hudson River School landscapes. The work is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it remains part of the museum's holdings. No further details on commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history are documented in the available sources.
The painting is held by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it is recorded as accession number 65.18.1.
It has been exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the 1965 presentation “American Landscapes from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.”
Overview
Created in 1874, this oil on canvas by Jasper Francis Cropsey portrays the confluence of the Susquehanna and Unadilla rivers within a broad, gently rolling valley. The composition balances foreground water, mid‑range foliage, and distant hills beneath a pale sky, conveying a tranquil, pastoral scene. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jasper Francis Cropsey was an American architect and artist. He is best known for his Hudson River School landscape paintings.
