Near Dresden
Artist
Samuel Colman
(American, 1832 - 1920)
Dateca. 1860 - 1870
MediumWatercolor on paper
Dimensions5 x 10 3/4 in.
ClassificationsWatercolor
Credit LineJohn Butler Talcott Fund
Terms
Object number1982.25
DescriptionLike his contemporaries George Loring Brown and Jasper Francis Cropsey, Hudson River School painter Colman made the grand tour of Europe to seek new artistic inspiration. "Near Dresden", most likely painted on Colman's first trip to the Middle East and the Continent in the early 1860s, possibly portrays a factory on the Elbe River, not far from this major East German city. Unlike Brown's "View Near Rome", Colman does not emphasize the sublime aspect of this landscape but instead focuses on the atmosphere and the local colors and features of the area. The artist's choice of gold in the foreground and purple and blue on the horizon imbue the scene with a warm glow and lend it a remarkable serenity and calmness. The viewer notes Colman's prominent placement of the factory in the distance. Our eye is led toward the black smoke that spews from the building's chimney as it adds a grimy soot to the air. One might argue that while Colman alluded to the prosperity of Dresden's nearby booming industry, he also warned of its destructive impact on the environment as the factory pollutes the landscape.On View
Not on view
