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
Alvan Fisher, The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara, 1820, oil on canvas, 34 3848 in. (87.2122.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1966.82.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara
Artist
Date
1820
Dimensions
34 3848 in. (87.2122.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — waterfall — Horseshoe Falls
  • Landscape — Canada — Niagara Falls
  • Landscape — waterfall — Niagara Falls
  • Landscape — phenomenon — rainbow
  • Figure group
Object Number
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

Works by this artist (1 item)

Duane Hanson, Woman Eating, 1971, polyester resin and fiberglass with oil and acrylic paints and found accessories, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2005.22A-Z
Woman Eating
Date1971
polyester resin and fiberglass with oil and acrylic paints and found accessories
Not on view

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Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
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