Mount Desert Island, Maine

Jervis McEntee painted Mount Desert Island, Maine in 1864. The work remained in the artist’s estate until a sale of his holdings on Fifth Avenue Art Galleries in New York on March 29‑30, 1892, where it was listed as _On Mt. Desert_.

It later passed through Berry‑Hill Galleries, Inc. in New York before being acquired by John Wilmerding in 1999, who subsequently gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art in 2016. The painting measures 27.1 cm in height and 40.4 cm in width.

Mount Desert Island, Maine is an oil on canvas painting by Jervis McEntee, created in 1864. It entered private ownership following the artist's estate sale at Fifth Avenue Art Galleries in New York on March 29–30, 1892 (no. 89, titled _On Mt. Desert_) and remained in a private collection until its acquisition by John Wilmerding in 1999.

The work was subsequently gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 2016. It was featured in the 1997–1998 exhibition at Beacon Hill Fine Art in New York. The painting is cataloged in the National Gallery of Art's collection with dimensions 27.1 cm (height) and 40.4 cm (width).

Jervis McEntee painted Mount Desert Island, Maine in 1864, depicting the coastal landscape of Acadia National Park's core region. The work entered the National Gallery of Art's collection through the bequest of John Wilmerding in 2016, having previously been held by Berry-Hill Galleries and featured in the 1997-1998 Beacon Hill Fine Art exhibition. Its provenance traces back to the artist's estate sale in 1892, establishing a direct lineage from McEntee's own holdings to the present-day museum acquisition.

Scholarly attention to this painting intensified following its inclusion in the Beacon Hill Fine Art exhibition catalogue, which documented its visual and historical significance within 19th-century American landscape painting. The work's placement in the National Gallery of Art's collection underscores its recognized importance as part of the broader narrative of American artists engaging with the Hudson River School tradition and the evolving appreciation of the American wilderness.

Painted in 1864, Mount Desert Island, Maine is an oil on canvas by Jervis McEntee, a prominent figure associated with the Hudson River School. The work depicts the rugged topography of Mount Desert Island, capturing the specific geological character of the Maine coast during the mid-19th century. The composition features a vast, rocky landscape dominated by granite outcrops and sparse vegetation.

A lone figure, dressed in a white shirt and hat, sits on a hill in the middle distance, providing a sense of scale against the expansive terrain. This small human presence emphasizes the sublime grandeur of the natural world, a central theme in American landscape painting of the era. McEntee's brushwork renders the textures of the stone and the atmospheric depth of the distant hills with careful attention to light and shadow.

Created during the height of the artist's career, this painting reflects the Hudson River School's dedication to portraying the American wilderness as a source of spiritual and national identity. The work stands as a testament to McEntee's ability to balance detailed observation with the romantic sensibility characteristic of the movement.