Who painted Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)?

Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) was painted by Jervis McEntee in 1869.

Where can I see Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)?

Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)?

Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 (recto, from Sketchbook)

Jervis McEntee , 1869

Lake Maggiore, May 11, 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 sketchbook entry created during McEntee's travels, the drawing functions as a direct visual record of the specific location and date noted in the title.

The work depicts a landscape scene centered on Lake Maggiore. As a sketchbook entry created during McEntee's travels, the drawing functions as a direct visual record of the specific location and date noted in the title. The iconography is limited to the natural features of the lake and its surroundings, rendered in graphite and white gouache on blue paper to capture atmospheric effects.

The piece represents a moment of observation within the broader tradition of landscape painting, documenting the artist's engagement with the European scenery without employing complex allegorical symbolism.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1869, this work is a landscape sketch rendered primarily in graphite on blue paper. McEntee supplemented the dark lines of the pencil with applications of white gouache, using the opaque medium to create highlights and define forms against the toned support. The combination of materials suggests a rapid, observational approach typical of plein air sketching, where the artist utilized the mid-tone blue ground to establish atmospheric value rather than starting from a white surface.

The handling of the graphite likely captures the contours of Lake Maggiore, while the white additions provide immediate contrast for water reflections or cloud formations.

History & Provenance

Jervis McEntee drew Lake Maggiore on May 11, 1869, using graphite and white gouache on blue paper; the sheet is a recto from his sketchbook and is classified within The American Wing as a landscape painting. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of the museum's American art holdings.

The drawing was created during a documented visit to the Italian lake, reflecting McEntee's fascination with Mediterranean scenery. Its provenance is straightforward, moving directly from the artist's studio to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which acquired it as part of its American Wing landscape acquisitions.

Overview

Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869 is a drawing created by Jervis McEntee, an artist associated with the Hudson River School, using graphite and white gouache on blue paper.

Context

As a friend and traveling companion of prominent Hudson River School artists, McEntee's work offers insight into the artistic circle of his time, with his unpublished journals providing further context on the life of a New York painter during the Gilded Age.