Falls of the Snake River

George Catlin

National Gallery of Art

The painting depicts an elevated point of view of a broad landscape. The horizon is high in the image, showing distant mountains against a light blue sky with scattered clouds. The brushstrokes are smooth and blended, creating depth and atmosphere. The color palette includes earthy greens and browns in the landscape, and cooler blues and grays in the mountains and sky. Close to us, a group of horses stands near trees, with figures by a river and a waterfall in the background. The middle ground contains more trees and greenery leading to the distant horizon.