Artwork
A View of the Potomac at Harpers Ferry
A View of the Potomac at Harpers Ferry is a watercolor work on paper by the American Folk Art artist Pavel Petrovich Svinin. It dates from 1811 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 42.95.47
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1942
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the piece within its American Wing collection, preserving its historical and artistic significance.
The watercolor and gouache work titled A View of the Potomac at Harpers Ferry, painted by Pavel Petrovich Svinin in 1811, portrays a riverside tree as part of its cityscape composition. This natural element serves as a visual subject that grounds the scene in a recognizable landscape setting. The depiction aligns with broader symbolic uses of trees to convey stability and growth within early American artistic representation.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the piece within its American Wing collection, preserving its historical and artistic significance.
The painting’s subject reflects a topographical interest in the Potomac River region during the early 19th century, emphasizing both geographic specificity and natural detail. The tree functions not merely as decorative flora but as a compositional anchor that frames the broader vista of Harpers Ferry. Its presence contributes to the work’s atmospheric depth and subtle narrative of place.
The artwork measures 21.9 cm in width and 14 cm in height, rendered on white laid paper using watercolor and gouache techniques.
Technique & Style
The work was executed in watercolor and gouache on white laid paper, a support typical of early American topographical studies. The artist’s handling emphasizes crisp linear contours for the river and foliage, while subtle tonal washes model atmospheric depth and the fleeting quality of light over the Potomac. Formal composition relies on a balanced horizon and diagonal river axis that guides the eye through the landscape, reflecting a restrained, documentary realism characteristic of early 19th‑century American cityscapes.
History & Provenance
Pavel Petrovich Svinin created A View of the Potomac at Harpers Ferry in 1811, as established by both the artist’s inscription and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s records. The work is executed in watercolor and gouache on white laid paper, measuring 14 by 21.9 centimeters.
The painting has been part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection since its acquisition, though specific details of its earlier ownership history remain undocumented in available sources.
The watercolor and gouache work A View of the Potomac at Harpers Ferry has been part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection since its acquisition. It is housed in the museum’s American Wing, where it is classified as a cityscape within the genre holdings.
As of the available records, the painting has not been widely exhibited beyond its permanent display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its accession details remain unpublicized, though it is consistently attributed to the museum’s inventory under the authorship of Pavel Petrovich Svinin.
Overview
Created circa 1811 by the Russian traveller Pavel Petrovich Svinin, this watercolor and gouache on white laid paper presents an early‑19th‑century view of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The composition records the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers before the town’s later militarisation, offering a tranquil depiction of the landscape as it appeared to an outsider.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pavel Petrovich Svinyin or Svinin (Russian: Па́вел Петро́вич Свиньи́н; 19 June 1787 – 21 April 1839) was a Russian writer, painter, and editor, known as a "Russian Munchausen" for many exaggerated accounts of his travels.
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