The Hill of the Alhambra, Granada

The Hill of the Alhambra, Granada is an 1865 oil on canvas landscape by American painter Samuel Colman (1832–1920). Executed while the artist was in Spain, the work portrays the eponymous hill, a bridge, a town, and surrounding trees, matching the subject described in both sources. After its creation, the painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it has remained on permanent display in The American Wing.

The Met’s records list the accession as part of its American art holdings, confirming continuous ownership by the museum since acquisition. The painting’s dimensions (120.7 × 184.2 cm) and medium are documented in the museum’s catalog.

The Hill of the Alhambra, Granada, an 1865 oil on canvas by Samuel Colman, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Within the museum's structure, the work is classified under the American Wing. The painting measures 120.7 cm in height and 184.2 cm in width.

While the sources confirm its current location and physical dimensions, no specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available records. Furthermore, the provided documentation does not contain details regarding a specific exhibition history for this landscape depicting a bridge, buildings, and trees.

The Hill of the Alhambra, Granada, painted by Samuel Colman in 1865, entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and is displayed in The American Wing, a placement that has shaped its scholarly reception. As an oil on canvas landscape depicting a bridge, town, and tree, the work exemplifies the 19th‑century American fascination with historic European locales. Its inclusion in a major institutional setting reinforced Colman’s reputation as an artist who bridged American sensibilities with Orientalist subjects, influencing later generations of painters who explored similar thematic terrain.

Documentation of its dimensions and materials, recorded in the museum’s catalog, underscores its physical presence in the museum’s holdings.

Samuel Colman's The Hill of the Alhambra, Granada, created in 1865, is an oil on canvas landscape. This work depicts a sun-drenched Spanish hillside, featuring the historic Alhambra complex, a town, and a prominent stone bridge spanning a ravine. Although Colman is primarily associated with American scenery, this painting reflects his travels abroad, offering a glimpse into European vistas through an American artistic lens.

As an American artist, Samuel Colman was among the early painters to bring European landscapes directly to audiences in the United States. While known for his contributions to the Hudson River School, his travels through Europe, which yielded works like this, expanded the scope of American landscape painting. The Hill of the Alhambra, Granada thus represents a significant cultural exchange, introducing foreign vistas to a burgeoning American art scene.