A General View of the Falls of Niagara

Alvan Fisher, A General View of the Falls of Niagara, 1820, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1967.85
Copied Alvan Fisher, A General View of the Falls of Niagara, 1820, oil on canvas, 34 3⁄8 x 48 1⁄8 in. (87.2 x 122.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1967.85
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Artwork Details

Title
A General View of the Falls of Niagara
Artist
Date
1820
Location
Dimensions
34 3⁄8 x 48 1⁄8 in. (87.2 x 122.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Indian
  • Figure group
  • Landscape — Canada — Niagara Falls
  • Landscape — weather — cloud
  • Landscape — waterfall — Niagara Falls
Object Number
1967.85
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.85

Artwork Description

This scene by Alvan Fisher conveys the magnificent beauty of Niagara Falls, which quickly became an icon for the new nation.Tiny figures stand at the rim of the cataract, their gestures expressing awe and delight in the grandeur of the scene before them.Lacking a lengthy, cultured past, Americans looked to the grandeur of the landscape to reflect the scale of the new country’s ambitions.Just as the Seven Wonders of the World had given Europeans a sense of pride in their past, Niagara Falls and other natural wonders became symbols of America’s identity.