Magnificent Clay Bluffs, 1800 Miles above St. Louis

George Catlin, Magnificent Clay Bluffs, 1800 Miles above St. Louis, 1832, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.370
George Catlin, Magnificent Clay Bluffs, 1800 Miles above St. Louis, 1832, oil on canvas, 11 1⁄8 x 14 1⁄2 in. (28.4 x 36.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.370
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Magnificent Clay Bluffs, 1800 Miles above St. Louis
Artist
Date
1832
Location
Dimensions
11 1⁄8 x 14 1⁄2 in. (28.4 x 36.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — river
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Western
Object Number
1985.66.370
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.66.370

Artwork Description

George Catlin was captivated by the landscape along the Missouri River, which was so different from his native Pennsylvania. He described this view of the naturally formed “domes” and “towers” as “one of the most grand and beautiful scenes of the kind to be met with in this country.” He supposed that the black line above the water was a vein of coal. (Truettner, The Natural Man Observed, 1979)

Works by this artist (4 items)

Lawrence Calcagno, Long Journey, 1962, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1968.52.6
Long Journey
Artist
Date1962
oil on canvas
Not on view
Lawrence Calcagno, Timeless Landscape, 1966, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Richard Sheridan, 1968.57
Timeless Landscape
Artist
Date1966
oil on canvas
Not on view
Lawrence Calcagno, Night Tide XVII, 1955, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1981.109.4
Night Tide XVII
Artist
Date1955
oil on canvas
Not on view
Lawrence Calcagno, Night at Mattoon, 1959, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1981.109.5
Night at Mattoon
Artist
Date1959
oil on canvas
Not on view

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