1880
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Old Cedars, Coast of Maine is a 1880 ink by James David Smillie, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a lone, gnarled tree standing on a rocky shore. Behind it, a line of dark, tangled bushes clings to a steep cliff. The water below is calm, with just a hint of waves near the shore. Everything is drawn in black lines, with no color—just deep shadows and light edges. The artist focused on texture, making the tree bark look rough and the grass patchy. The way the cliffs and bushes blend into the sky feels real, like you could step into it. Want to see more like this? Try etching.
James David Smillie was an American artist, cofounder of the American Watercolor Society and New York Etching Club. His brother was painter George Henry Smillie.
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