American Landscape
Date1862
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsCanvas: 26 × 38 inches (66 × 96.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Walter and Linda Evans
Object number2023.21
On View
On viewCollections
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextIn the mid 19th century, Robert S. Duncanson was one of America’s most esteemed landscape painters. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, he enjoyed wide patronage in cities west of the Appalachian Mountains, a region then rapidly growing in population, wealth, and cultural sophistication. Duncanson specialized in majestic vistas of mountains and rivers, celebrating the beauty of the American frontier. These sometimes depicted recognizable landforms based on the artist’s travels. In other cases, such as this work, the painter has poetically arranged mountains, trees, cows, and houses to create a balanced, verdant, and welcoming scene. Despite his talent and success, Duncanson faced discrimination and travel restrictions in the United States because of his mixed ancestry (his mother was African American, and his father was Scottish Canadian). He lived off and on in Canada and the United Kingdom, preceding Henry Tanner, Palmer Hayden, Richmond Barthé, and other African American artists who traveled in search of greater social and professional freedom.