Artwork

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills, by Stanford White, oil, 1874
View of the Hudson River from the Catskills, by Stanford White, oil, 1874

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills is an oil drawing by the Impressionist artist Stanford White. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Created in 1870, this work by Stanford White presents a landscape view of the Hudson River as seen from the Catskills.

Created in 1870, this work by Stanford White presents a landscape view of the Hudson River as seen from the Catskills. The composition focuses on the natural topography of the region, depicting the river winding through the terrain. As a landscape painting executed in oil on paper, the piece serves as a direct representation of the American scenery, capturing the specific geographic relationship between the waterway and the mountainous vantage point.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil on paper, a support typical for small-scale American landscapes of the 1870s. Visible brushwork and tonal gradation give the river and foliage a soft, atmospheric quality characteristic of White’s plein-air approach. The composition balances expansive sky with detailed riverbank forms, creating a lyrical realism that emphasizes light and spatial depth.

History & Provenance

The painting was created in 1870 by Stanford White, an American architect and painter associated with the Hudson River School aesthetic in its later phase.

It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains. The work’s dimensions are 19.1 cm in height and 35.4 cm in width, executed in oil on paper.

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, created by Stanford White in 1870, is classified within the museum's American Wing. While specific accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the painting is cataloged as an oil on paper landscape measuring 19.1 cm in height and 35.4 cm in width. The sources do not contain details regarding the work's specific exhibition history or past loans.

Overview

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills is an oil sketch on paper executed around 1874. The work presents a tranquil segment of the Hudson River flanked by gently rising hills that dissolve into a blue atmospheric haze. Its modest size and informal handling convey a fleeting, personal observation rather than a formal composition.

The Hudson River at Hastings
The Hudson River at Hastings, Jasper Francis Cropsey

Artist & collection

Frequently asked questions

Who painted View of the Hudson River from the Catskills?

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills was painted by Stanford White in 1874.

Where can I see View of the Hudson River from the Catskills?

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is View of the Hudson River from the Catskills?

View of the Hudson River from the Catskills is associated with Impressionism.