Artwork
Pleasant Valley, New Jersey
Pleasant Valley, New Jersey is a watercolor work on paper by the Hudson River School artist William Rickarby Miller. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 93.24.1
- Credit line
- Gift of Mrs. A. M. Miller, 1893
About this work
Technique & Style
The paper support shows slight discoloration along the edges consistent with age, but no significant losses or abrasions are recorded.
Executed in 1858, the work combines watercolor, graphite, and gouache on light green wove paper. The layered application of translucent washes and opaque body color heightens the luminosity of the rural scene, while graphite underdrawing remains visible in areas of thin wash, particularly in the foliage and sky.
The composition favors a quiet, naturalistic transcription of the New Jersey valley: undulating hills and cultivated fields are rendered with careful gradations of tone, and a muted palette of greens, browns, and soft blues conveys the humid atmosphere of the region. The paper support shows slight discoloration along the edges consistent with age, but no significant losses or abrasions are recorded.
History & Provenance
Pleasant Valley, New Jersey was created by William Rickarby Miller in 1858, as indicated by the artist’s date and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s record of its inception year.
The work entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings as part of its collection, where it remains located. Its medium is specified as watercolor, graphite, and gouache on light green wove paper, and the sheet measures 45.4 cm in height by 37.1 cm in width.
Pleasant Valley, New Jersey is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within its American Wing. The work, created by William Rickarby Miller in 1858, is classified as a landscape drawing executed in watercolor, graphite, and gouache on light green wove paper. While the sources confirm the museum's location and the artwork's creation date, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Furthermore, the available documentation does not list any exhibition history for this work.
Overview
Pleasant Valley, New Jersey is a mid‑nineteenth‑century landscape painted in 1858 by American artist William Rickarby Miller. Executed on light‑green wove paper, the work combines watercolor, graphite and gouache, and bears the artist’s signature in the lower‑right corner.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a rural scene: a dirt track winds through a stand of trees and brush, a wooden fence lines the right edge, and a modest house with a chimney rises in the distance. The tranquil setting reflects a quiet, everyday American countryside.
Artist & collection
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