Portfolio Cover for Picturesque Views of American Scenery, No. I

Art Historical Context

This portfolio cover, created by John Hill between 1819 and 1821, served as the protective wrapper for the first installment of *Picturesque Views of American Scenery*. Printed in letterpress on blue wove paper, the folded sheet measures just over 22 by 15 inches and was designed to house a series of aquatint prints celebrating the young nation’s landscapes. Hill, an English-born printmaker who emigrated to the United States, brought sophisticated European techniques to American subjects at a moment when the country was eager to define its own visual identity. The cover’s classification as an aquatint reflects the medium of the prints it once contained—tonal engravings prized for their ability to capture atmospheric effects of light and weather in scenes of rivers, mountains, and forests. By packaging these views for a growing audience of collectors and armchair travelers, the portfolio helped popularize the idea of America as a land of romantic, untamed beauty worthy of artistic attention. Today, the surviving cover in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection offers a tangible glimpse into early nineteenth-century print culture and the ambition to document a rapidly changing national landscape.