View of the Spot Where General Ross Fell, Near Baltimore, plate six of the first number of Picturesque Views of American Scenery

Art Historical Context

This aquatint print by John Hill captures a serene landscape near Baltimore, Maryland, marking the precise location where British General Robert Ross was fatally wounded during the Battle of North Point in September 1814. Part of the series *Picturesque Views of American Scenery*, published between 1819 and 1821, the work transforms a site of recent wartime conflict into an idyllic vista, reflecting the era’s fascination with the picturesque aesthetic that blended natural beauty with subtle historical resonance. Hill, an English-born printmaker who emigrated to the United States, employed aquatint combined with etching and delicate hand-coloring to achieve the soft tonal gradations reminiscent of watercolor paintings. This technique allowed him to evoke atmospheric light and texture across the cream wove paper, making the print both accessible and visually appealing to a growing American audience eager for images of their own landscape. As plate six in the series’ first number, the work contributed to early efforts to document and celebrate distinctly American scenery in the years following the War of 1812. Today in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection, it offers viewers a window into how 19th-century artists balanced commemoration, topography, and artistic refinement.