Glenns Falls (No. 6 of The Hudson River Portfolio)

Art Historical Context

"Glens Falls (No. 6 from *The Hudson River Portfolio*) created in 1822, the dramatic beauty of New York's Hudson River Valley through the collaborative talents of artist William Guy Wall, engraver John Hill, and Henry J. Megare. This aquatint print, the first state of two as noted by scholar Richard Koke, showcases Wall's original watercolor vista transformed into a vibrant color print with meticulous hand-coloring. Measuring 14 1/16 x 20 3/16 inches, it depicts the rushing waterfalls of Glens Falls, framed by houses, bridges, rivers, and lush trees—a quintessential early 19th-century American landscape. Part of the pioneering *Hudson River Portfolio* (1821–1825), this series of 20 prints was among the first to celebrate the Hudson River's sublime scenery in affordable, reproducible form. Aquatint's etched tonal effects, enhanced by hand-applied colors, allowed Hill to evoke the luminosity and texture of nature, bridging painting and printmaking. It fueled tourism and national pride, predating the Hudson River School while making grand vistas accessible to a wider public. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Edward W. C. Arnold Collection, this work invites visitors to marvel at early American ingenuity in art and exploration. Step closer and feel the mist from the falls!