Artwork preview

The Falls of Niagara

Edward Hicks

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a painting titled "The Falls of Niagara" by Edward Hicks. Landscape painting with a brown border, featuring a poem written in gold text around the inside edge. The painting itself shows a rocky cliff with a large waterfall cascading down. The waterfall on the right side of the painting is wider than on the left. The water at the bottom of the falls is white and frothy. On the left side of the painting, a tree with green leaves and a curved trunk is visible. On the right side of the painting, a tree with reddish-brown leaves is visible. In the foreground, a deer and a smaller animal are standing near the base of the cliff. The background of the painting features a blue sky with white clouds. The poem on the border describes the beauty and power of Niagara Falls. The poem is written in a decorative font and includes phrases such as "Above, below, where'er the astonished eye Turns to behold, new opening wonders lie". The numbers 18 and 25 are visible on the bottom left and right corners of the border. The overall color palette of the painting is earthy tones, with shades of brown, green, and blue. The style of the painting is reminiscent of 19th-century American art. The image conveys a sense of awe and wonder at the natural beauty of Niagara Falls.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1825
Medium
Oil on canvas
Culture
American
Dimensions
600 × 501 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette