"Niagara" by Frederic Edwin Church
- Date Range
- 1857 – 1857
- Title
- "Niagara" by Frederic Edwin Church
- What occurred
- Frederic Edwin Church was a 19th century painter who participated in, and was a major contributor to, the Hudson River School movement of art. Church was Thomas Cole's star student and he led a second generation of the movement following Cole's death. In his painting we see the iconic Niagara Falls, which were regarded as one of the greatest natural wonders in the United States at the time. We can see a visual representation of the beauty and splendor of the falls, for which Thomas Cole valued them. Not only is the magnificence of this wonder depicted in its size and the power of surging water, but so too is its beauty in the vibrant colors, the refreshing mists, and the unifying structure of the horseshoe shape. Lastly, the brightness of this painting exemplifies the transcendental-like offshoot of the Hudson River School known as luminism. The illuminated wonder suggests that this natural example of splendor is a heavenly oasis for one to be closer to God.
- Location
- 332 Prospect St, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
- Image Citation
- Church, Frederic Edwin. Niagara. 1856, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. http://www.corcoran.org/collection/niagara
- Student name(s)
- Thomas Schrader