Who painted Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)?

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) was painted by Jervis McEntee in 1869.

Where can I see Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)?

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)?

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)

Jervis McEntee , 1869

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) is a gouache drawing by the Impressionist artist Jervis McEntee. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

As a recto page from a sketchbook, it represents a primary, immediate response to the Italian lakeside environment rather than a finished studio composition.

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 is a landscape sketch by Jervis McEntee, executed in graphite and white gouache on blue paper as part of a sketchbook. The work depicts a natural landscape, with trees forming a central element of the composition. The blue paper serves as an integral mid-tone, against which the graphite establishes darker passages and the white gouache lifts highlights, a technique well suited to capturing the atmospheric qualities of an outdoor scene.

The specific date inscribed in the title, May 3, 1869, suggests the sheet functioned as a dated, on-site observational record, a common practice for nineteenth-century landscape artists working en plein air. As a recto page from a sketchbook, it represents a primary, immediate response to the Italian lakeside environment rather than a finished studio composition.

Technique & Style

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 is executed in graphite and white gouache on blue paper, combining linear drawing with delicate opaque highlights to articulate foliage and reflections.

The artist’s handling emphasizes tonal contrast: the blue paper establishes a cool ambient ground while the white gouache heightens light effects on leaves and water, producing a luminous yet restrained effect characteristic of McEntee’s plein-air sketches. The sheet remains unlined, retaining the support’s original deckled edges and the crisp, fresh state of the medium, indicating it has not been subjected to significant conservation or later overworking.

History & Provenance

Created by Jervis McEntee in 1869, the work is a graphite and white gouache sketch on blue paper. The specific date inscribed on the recto is May 3, 1869, situating the drawing within the artist's late career period. This piece was originally part of a sketchbook, serving as a preparatory study or direct observation of the landscape around Lake Como.

The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1982, acquired as part of the accession number 1982.217.5. It is currently housed within the museum's American Wing, where it remains a documented example of McEntee's landscape sketching practice.

Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under inventory number 1982.217.5. The work has been exhibited in The American Wing galleries, aligning with its classification as a landscape painting within the museum’s collection.

Context

Jervis McEntee's 1869 graphite and white gouache drawing on blue paper, depicting a lakeside tree, was created during his engagement with American landscape traditions. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection in 1982 as part of The American Wing's holdings, reflecting his role within the broader context of 19th-century American landscape artists. The work's provenance and medium specificity align with McEntee's practice of detailed naturalistic studies, situating it within the evolution of American landscape art in the post-Civil War era.

Overview

Jervis McEntee’s Lake Como, May 3, 1869 is a graphite and white gouache drawing on blue paper, executed during the artist’s travels. Part of a sketchbook, the work captures a fleeting lakeside view with rapid, economical marks. Its modest scale and immediacy reflect the artist’s practice of recording observations directly from nature.