Mountains in Colorado

John Frederick Kensett, Mountains in Colorado, 1870, oil on paper mounted on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.6
Copied John Frederick Kensett, Mountains in Colorado, 1870, oil on paper mounted on paperboard, 10 1414 in. (25.935.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.6
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Mountains in Colorado
Date
1870
Dimensions
10 1414 in. (25.935.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Orrin Wickersham June
Mediums Description
oil on paper mounted on paperboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Western
  • Landscape — Colorado
  • Landscape — rocks
Object Number
1967.136.6

Artwork Description

John Frederick Kensett painted peaceful views in muted colors to express a sense of quiet reflection. American artists in the nineteenth century often painted the mountains of the American West rising dramatically from the Great Plains. Kensett, however, chose to paint from inside the mountains, showing successive ridges marching toward the Continental Divide. The dull browns, greens, and grays of the scene evoke the cold, thin atmosphere of Colorado’s high altitudes.