Gold Mining, Cripple Creek

Ernest Lawson, Gold Mining, Cripple Creek, 1929, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design, 1949.10.2
Copied Ernest Lawson, Gold Mining, Cripple Creek, 1929, oil on canvas, 40 x 50 1⁄8 in. (101.6 x 127.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design, 1949.10.2
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Artwork Details

Title
Gold Mining, Cripple Creek
Artist
Date
1929
Location
Dimensions
40 x 50 1⁄8 in. (101.6 x 127.4 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — river — Cripple Creek
  • Landscape — bird’s eye view
  • Landscape — Colorado
  • Architecture — industry — mine
  • Landscape — mountain
Object Number
1949.10.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1949.10.2

Artwork Description

Ernest Lawson chose to crop the view of Cripple Creek Mining Camp in Colorado so that the craggy mountain overpowers the space. When Lawson came west from New York City, he had trouble with the vastly different landscape, and complained that "he couldn't feel the place, . . . it was too bleak [and] forbidding." He fought against the dizziness and shortness of breath brought on by Colorado's high altitudes, and crafted numerous scenes of the dramatic landscape. This painting won Lawson a prize at the National Academy of Design, the last major award of his career. (Leeds, Ernest Lawson, 2000)

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Art Bites: Gold Mining, Cripple Creek
The author looks at Ernest Lawson's painting, "Gold Mining, Cripple Creek," with the environment in mind.
Michaela Rife