Artwork
Lake Maggiore, May 11,1869: Village and Landscape (recto, from Sketchbook)
Lake Maggiore, May 11,1869: Village and Landscape (recto, from Sketchbook) is a watercolor work on paper by the Hudson River School artist Jervis McEntee. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of the boat suggests themes of travel and solitude, while the mountainous backdrop conveys the sublime scale of nature relative to human activity.
The work depicts a lakeside village framed by rugged mountains, with a small boat on the water indicating human presence within a vast natural setting. The composition emphasizes the quiet interaction between built and unbuilt environments, capturing a moment of stillness under an expansive sky. The inclusion of the boat suggests themes of travel and solitude, while the mountainous backdrop conveys the sublime scale of nature relative to human activity.
The scene likely reflects McEntee’s interest in the Picturesque tradition, where tranquil landscapes evoke contemplation rather than dramatic action. The dated inscription, May 11, 1869, anchors the work within a specific moment of observation, reinforcing its status as an on-site record rather than a generalized idealization.
Technique & Style
The sheet combines graphite underdrawing with opaque white gouache and transparent watercolor on a blue paper support, exploiting the toned ground to heighten luminosity. Handling is light and economical, with delicate watercolor washes defining distance and atmosphere, while the white gouache is used sparingly for accents along the shoreline and boat edges. The composition privileges recession through layered horizontal bands, foreground foliage, mid-ground buildings, and receding mountains, rendered with a restrained, atmospheric palette that emphasizes quietude over detail. Stylistically, the work aligns with McEntee’s late-1860s sketchbooks, favoring tonal unity and abbreviated notation over descriptive finish.
History & Provenance
Created in 1869, Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869: Village and Landscape is a work by Jervis McEntee executed in graphite, white gouache, and watercolor on blue paper. The piece originates from a sketchbook, with the recto side depicting a village and landscape featuring a boat and mountain. It is currently part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within the American Wing. The specific date of May 11, 1869, is recorded as the creation date for this landscape study.
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its accession number is 1983.258. The piece was included in the museum's 1983 exhibition titled "American Drawings and Watercolors," which showcased works from the 19th century.
Context
Jervis McEntee's Lake Maggiore, May 11,1869: Village and Landscape (recto, from Sketchbook) exemplifies his luminous Hudson River School landscapes, merging precise topographical observation with atmospheric sensitivity. Executed in graphite, white gouache, and watercolor on blue paper, the work demonstrates his technical experimentation within the genre while reflecting broader 19th-century American interests in transnational scenery. Scholarship emphasizes its role within McEntee's mature oeuvre and his engagement with European sketch traditions, situating it alongside contemporaries who documented evolving American identity through topography.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's classification as part of The American Wing underscores its significance in institutional narratives of American art, where it contributes to ongoing reassessments of 19th-century landscape painting's cultural resonance.
Depicted elements include a boat and mountain, consistent with Wikidata records of the work's iconography.
Overview
Jervis McEntee’s 1869 sketch, titled Lake Maggiore, May 11, 1869: Village and Landscape, records a tranquil lakeside scene rendered in graphite, white gouache and watercolor on blue paper. The composition captures a small village at dusk, with a few boats near the shore and distant mountains receding into a muted sky.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jervis McEntee (July 14, 1828 – January 27, 1891) was an American painter of the Hudson River School.
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Lake Maggiore May 12 1869 (recto, from sketchbook)![Village, Mountains, and Lake [Maggiore?] (recto, from sketchbook), by Jervis McEntee](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jervis-mcentee--village-mountains-and-lake-maggiore-recto-from-sketchbook--3cfb09e258099ce7-w320.webp)
Village, Mountains, and Lake [Maggiore?] (recto, from sketchbook)
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Lake Como, May 1, 1869 (recto, from sketchbook)
