 Frederic Edwin Church (American, 1826–1900) The Andes of Ecuador, 1855 Oil on canvas Purchase, Robert Allerton and Prisanlee Funds and
gifts of Mrs. Wallace Alexander and Renee Halbedl by
exchange, 1987 (5622.1) From the heights of a snowy mountain peak to the
depths of a misty gorge, this panorama of the Southern
Hemisphere celebrates the region’s natural beauty and
commemorates the artist’s first journey to Ecuador.
Trained to sketch directly from nature by the famed
landscape artist, Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church
traveled to Labrador, the Near East, and Central and
South America to record exotic scenery. Upon returning
from these voyages, Church recreated in enormous
studio pieces the breathtaking vistas he witnessed.
This small painting is either a preliminary study for or a
replica after a larger work, The Andes of Ecuador
(Reynolda House Museum, Winston-Salem, North
Carolina), which had been unveiled to popular acclaim
in 1855. Church’s journeys and artworks derived from
his belief that the study and experience of nature led to
an increased understanding of its Creator. |