Imaginary Landscape with View of a Lake
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-536
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900) stands as a towering figure in American art, particularly as a leading member of the Hudson River School, a movement dedicated to portraying the American landscape with romantic grandeur and precise detail. Painted between 1870 and 1875, Imaginary Landscape with View of a Lake showcases Church's talent for creating evocative, invented scenes that blend observation with imagination, featuring a serene lake amid a vast natural setting. In the years following the Civil War, Church's landscapes continued to captivate audiences by emphasizing the sublime beauty of...