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
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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
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)
