Artwork
The Mount Washington Range, from Mount Kearsarge
The Mount Washington Range, from Mount Kearsarge is a gouache work on paper by the Hudson River School artist William Trost Richards. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the visual relationship between the foreground elevation of Mount Kearsarge and the distant peaks of the Mount Washington Range.
The work is a landscape that depicts the Mount Washington Range as viewed from the vantage point of Mount Kearsarge. Created by William Trost Richards in 1872, the piece focuses on the specific geological features of these two mountains. As a landscape genre painting, the subject matter centers on the natural topography of the region rather than allegorical figures or narrative events.
The composition captures the visual relationship between the foreground elevation of Mount Kearsarge and the distant peaks of the Mount Washington Range.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in watercolor, gouache, and graphite on light gray-green wove paper, a mixed-media approach that allows for both transparent washes and opaque layering. The sheet measures 20.6 × 35.9 cm, a horizontal format that accommodates a sweeping panoramic view of the mountain range. Richards's handling exploits the contrast between fluid watercolor and more body-rich gouache to render atmospheric depth and rugged topography, while graphite underdrawing likely established the structural framework of the peaks.
The choice of toned paper unifies the composition and suggests the overcast luminosity characteristic of the White Mountains region.
History & Provenance
William Trost Richards created the watercolor, gouache, and graphite work titled The Mount Washington Range, from Mount Kearsarge in 1872. Executed on light gray-green wove paper, the landscape depicts the mountainous terrain of Mount Washington and Mount Kearsarge. The piece currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art within its American Wing.
No specific details regarding the original commission, prior ownership chains, or the circumstances of its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records. The work's physical dimensions are recorded as 20.6 cm in height and 35.9 cm in width.
The watercolor, gouache, and graphite work titled The Mount Washington Range, from Mount Kearsarge, executed in 1872, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It belongs to the museum’s American Wing and is classified as a landscape painting depicting the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The piece measures 20.6 cm in height and 35.9 cm in width, according to the museum’s cataloging data.
Its presence in the museum’s collection has allowed it to appear in exhibitions focused on 19th‑century American landscapes, though specific exhibition titles are not recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
The Mount Washington Range, from Mount Kearsarge is a 1872 watercolor, gouache, and graphite work by American artist William Trost Richards. Depicting the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the composition views the distant Mount Washington range from the vantage point of Mount Kearsarge. Richards employs a meticulous technique characteristic of his mature style, utilizing tiny, overlapping strokes of watercolor and opaque gouache to render atmospheric depth and geological texture.
The light gray-green wove paper serves as an active element, allowing its tone to unify the hazy peaks and soft cloud formations. Executed during a period when Richards transitioned from the broad romanticism of the Hudson River School toward a more precise, scientific observation of nature, this piece exemplifies his dedication to capturing specific light conditions and topographical accuracy. The work reflects the 19th-century American fascination with the sublime wilderness while demonstrating the artist's mastery of the watercolor medium to convey both the grandeur of the landscape and the delicate nuances of the atmosphere.
Artist & collection
