The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara

Alvan Fisher, The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara, 1820, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1966.82.1
Copied Alvan Fisher, The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara, 1820, oil on canvas, 34 3⁄8 x 48 in. (87.2 x 122.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1966.82.1
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Artwork Details

Title
The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara
Artist
Date
1820
Location
Dimensions
34 3⁄8 x 48 in. (87.2 x 122.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — Canada — Niagara Falls
  • Landscape — waterfall — Horseshoe Falls
  • Landscape — waterfall — Niagara Falls
  • Landscape — phenomenon — rainbow
  • Figure group
Object Number
1966.82.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.82.1

Artwork Description

Two scenes by Fisher (this painting and Fisher's A General View of the Falls of Niagara) capture the thrill of visiting Niagara Falls, a site in upstate New York that quickly became a symbol of the continent's epic scale and natural beauty. Tiny figures throw out their arms as if trying to describe to one another the vastness of what they see. Elegant tourists peer decorously across the chasm through opera glasses, while one young lady covers her ears against the stupendous noise. Reckless young men lie on their stomachs, daring one another to draw closer to the rock's edge.

Exhibition Label, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2006