Artwork
View of Washington
View of Washington is a watercolor print by the Impressionist artist Sachse Edward. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:Text at bottom on stone: Drawn from nature and on stone by E. Sachse / Entered according to the act of Congress in the year 1852 by E. Sachse & Co. in the Clerks office of the District Court / Lith and print in colors by E. Sachse & Company / View of Washington. / Published and sold by E. Sachse & Co. Baltimore Md.
About this work
You see a bright, busy map of Washington in 1852, streets, the Capitol dome, and the Potomac River winding through it all.
You see a bright, busy map of Washington in 1852, streets, the Capitol dome, and the Potomac River winding through it all. Tiny boats dot the water, and trees line the avenues like green stitches.
This isn’t a painting; it’s a chromolithograph, a printed image with watercolor added by hand. Sachse’s team printed thousands of these, then workers painted each one, so no two look exactly alike. It’s like a 19th-century postcard, meant to show off the young capital.
If you like old city views, look up the subject National Mall.
Subject & Meaning
Edward Sachse's 1852 chromolithograph presents a panoramic cityscape of Washington, D.C., meticulously detailing its emerging federal identity. The composition captures key landmarks including the United States Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution Building, and the Washington Monument, situated along major thoroughfares such as Pennsylvania Avenue and Maryland Avenue. By integrating the Potomac River and the Washington City Canal into the view, the work emphasizes the city's geographical relationship to its waterways.
The inclusion of the National Mall within this urban framework highlights the planned grandeur of the capital during the mid-nineteenth century, serving as a visual record of its architectural development and civic symbolism.
Technique & Style
The print was produced as a chromolithograph with hand-added watercolor on wove paper, a technique that blends lithographic reproduction with painted detail. It measures roughly 45.7 cm by 68.6 cm and depicts a cityscape of Washington, D.C., showing the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the National Mall, and surrounding streets. The composition relies on crisp line work and a muted palette, emphasizing architectural precision while allowing subtle color washes to suggest atmosphere.
The work is housed in the National Gallery of Art, conserved as a paper support within the institution's print collection.
History & Provenance
Edward Sachse produced View of Washington in 1852 as a chromolithograph with watercolor additions on wove paper. The print was held by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., from 1953. Following the Corcoran's closure, the National Gallery of Art acquired the work in 2015, where it is now held under inventory number NGA 184979.
Overview
Edward Sachse's "View of Washington," created in 1852, offers a detailed printed panorama of the burgeoning American capital. This chromolithograph, enhanced with hand-applied watercolor, captures the city's layout, including key thoroughfares like Maryland and Pennsylvania Avenues, as well as the expansive National Mall. It functions as both a topographical record and a visual representation of the city's development during the mid-19th century.
Context
Produced during a period of national expansion and civic pride, "View of Washington" functioned similarly to a modern-day souvenir or promotional item. It was intended for a wide audience, offering a visual testament to the capital's progress and potential. Such prints played a crucial role in disseminating images of important American cities, allowing citizens to connect with and appreciate their national landmarks from afar.
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