Ralph Albert Blakelock, The Signal Fire, 1885-1890, oil on wood, 14 x 10 in. (35.6 x 25.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the family of Grace Strong Twining, 2001.74
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Artwork Details
- Title
- The Signal Fire
- Artist
- Date
- 1885-1890
- Location
- Dimensions
- 14 x 10 in. (35.6 x 25.4 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the family of Grace Strong Twining
- Mediums Description
- oil on wood
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Landscape — phenomenon — fire
- Figure male — knee length
- Indian
- Landscape — time — night
- Landscape — celestial — moon
- Object Number
- 2001.74
Artwork Description
Ralph Albert Blakelock traveled the American West between 1869 and 1872 to sketch landscapes and native peoples. After he returned, he continued to paint western images inspired from the trip. In The Signal Fire a glowing moon rises above an American Indian perched on the edge of a cliff. The fire, crackling away below him, sends waves of wispy smoke in the air, possibly signaling someone on the tip of the mountain in the distance.
