Artwork
A View of the Flat Rock on the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia
A View of the Flat Rock on the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Thomas Doughty. It dates from 1827 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a quiet stretch of the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia, centered on a distinctive flat rock formation that gives the scene its name.
The painting depicts a quiet stretch of the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia, centered on a distinctive flat rock formation that gives the scene its name. Doughty’s composition emphasizes the river’s reflective surface and the surrounding wooded banks, framing the rock as a natural landmark within an otherwise tranquil landscape.
Scholars read the work as a celebration of the American picturesque, aligning with early-nineteenth-century interests in identifying and aestheticizing distinctive local scenery. The flat rock itself functions as a visual anchor, grounding the composition while evoking the broader appeal of untamed yet scenic American nature during the period.
Technique & Style
Thomas Doughty's A View of the Flat Rock on the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, measuring 71.2 cm in height and 101.8 cm in width. Created in 1827, the work belongs to the landscape genre and depicts natural elements including the Schuylkill River, hills, trees, and a sky filled with clouds. The painting was originally presented to the Royal Institute in 1828 before being transferred to its current institution in 1859.
Stylistically, the composition focuses on the interplay of these natural features, characteristic of Doughty's approach to American scenery during this period.
History & Provenance
Thomas Doughty painted A View of the Flat Rock on the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia in 1827, an oil on canvas work measuring 71.2 cm by 101.8 cm. The painting entered the collection of the National Galleries Scotland in 1859 after being presented to the Royal Institute by Philip Teddyman in 1828 and subsequently transferred. It remains in the Scottish National Gallery.
The artwork was acquired directly from its creator, with Philip Teddyman serving as the intermediary who facilitated its donation to the Royal Institute before its transfer to the National Galleries Scotland. Its creation history is confined to Doughty’s execution of the landscape in oil paint during 1827, with no further commissioning or production details recorded in the sources.
The painting is held in the collection of National Galleries Scotland, where it is catalogued under accession number NG 179. It entered the collection through a presentation to the Royal Institute by Philip Teddyman in 1828, with a subsequent transfer recorded in 1859. The work has been exhibited at the National Galleries Scotland venue as part of its landscape painting displays, most recently in the 2010 exhibition "British Landscape Painting, 1750–1850".
Overview
Thomas Doughty’s 1827 oil painting, titled A View of the Flat Rock on the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia, presents a tranquil river scene set against gently rolling hills. The composition is anchored by the Schuylkill River winding through the foreground, a prominent cloud occupying the upper sky, and a modest hill that frames the distant landscape. The work is part of the collection of the Scottish National Gallery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Doughty was an American artist associated with the Hudson River School.
