Mountain Peaks
1853â1868
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-842
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900), a leading figure in the Hudson River School, crafted *Mountain Peaks* between 1853 and 186. This American landscape artist was renowned for his luminous, detailed depictions of nature's grandeur, often drawing from real expeditions to evoke the sublime power of the American wilderness. As part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection—gifted by Louis P Church—the painting reflects the mid-19th-century fascination exploration and national identity during an era of westward expansion. Classified simply as a landscape, *Mountain Peaks* exemplifies Chu...