Artwork
View of the Bay and City of New York from Weehawken
View of the Bay and City of New York from Weehawken is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Havell, Jr., Robert. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Robert Havell Jr.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
, is an oil on canvas landscape that captures the view of New York Bay and the city of New York from Weehawken.
The painting, completed in 1840 by Robert Havell Jr., is an oil on canvas landscape that captures the view of New York Bay and the city of New York from Weehawken. In the composition a solitary tree stands amid the waterfront scene, a motif that was common in mid-nineteenth-century American landscapes to suggest both natural presence and the emerging urban environment. The work is classified within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is recorded as a landscape painting, reflecting the era's interest in documenting expanding cityscapes while retaining elements of the natural world.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting measures 61 by 83.8 centimeters in a horizontal landscape format. The medium and support are consistent with mid-nineteenth-century landscape practice, allowing Havell to build up atmospheric effects across the panoramic vista. The work is classified as a landscape painting within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, and its compositional focus on the bay and skyline, framed by natural elements including trees, reflects the topographical landscape tradition of the period.
No specific information on condition, handling, or stylistic details beyond medium, dimensions, and genre is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The work is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is inventoried as part of the American Wing's holdings. It is recorded with the dimensions 61 × 83.8 cm and dates to 1840, the year of its completion. The available sources do not document a specific accession number or detailed acquisition history. The painting is displayed among the museum's nineteenth-century American landscape paintings in the American Wing galleries.
Overview
Robert Havell Jr.'s 1840 oil painting, View of the Bay and City of New York from Weehawken, captures a panoramic landscape of the burgeoning metropolis. Executed on canvas, the work presents a detailed vista of New York City's harbor and skyline as seen from the New Jersey shore. This piece exemplifies the artist's meticulous approach to topographical views, showcasing the urban environment nestled within natural surroundings.
Context
Created in 1840, this painting provides a valuable historical document of New York City's appearance during a period of significant growth. The vantage point from Weehawken, New Jersey, remains a popular location for observing the city's skyline today, highlighting the enduring appeal of this particular perspective. Havell Jr.'s work contributes to a visual record of American urban development and its natural setting.
Artist & collection
Artist
The Havell family of Reading, Berkshire, England, included a number of notable engravers, etchers and painters, as well as writers, publishers, educators, and musicians.
- New York City and Harbor from Weehawken
View of New York from New Jersey
New York Harbor
View of New York from Weehawken
Bay and Harbor of New York from Bedlow's Island
View from Staten Island
New York from Weehawk
View of the City of New York and the Marine Hospital Taken from Wallabout
View of Hoboken Taken from the Ferry
