“Mountain Lake”
Now for something grand…
“Mountain Lake” is an atmospheric oil on canvas painting by the American artist, John William Casilear, from 1861. Casilear was part of what is known as the second generation of the Hudson River School of Art and its associated school, Luminism.
In this painting, Casilear depicts an unnamed mountain lake. The viewer’s eye is drawn to an atmospheric view of the majestic and snow-covered mountain peaks beyond the serene lake. Alpine forest trees top the rocky hill on the right. In the foreground, several figures on a boat are setting off into the water. A boat much further away can be seen towards the shoreline on the other side of the lake.
In 1857, Casilear quit his job as an engraver in New York City and devoted his life solely to his art. He went abroad to Europe for the second time to work on his art. This time, he spent most of his days sketching and painting the Alpine scenery in Switzerland. He returned home with enough subject material to keep him busy for the next several years.
“Mountain Lake” is assuredly a final painting based off of his sketches from this trip. It is strikingly similar in color and scope to “Alpine Scenery”, “Mountain Lake Scene”, and “Alpine Lake”.
Casilear’s work is remembered for his light-infused landscapes and natural scenes, rather than the large scope, and often aesthetic compilation landscape scenes that generally characterized the first generation of the Hudson River School of Art.
“Mountain Lake” is currently in a private collection.
For more on John William Casilear, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
