American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts

Note

Benjamin Latrobe had many talents, aside from his work in architecture and engineering. As a traveler, he documented the landscapes, habits, and people he encountered, and had a specific fascination with the contrast of the American landscape to that of his native European scenery. As he stated in his journal in 1806, "We have for instance no where bold and bare Mountains connected with large Masses of Water," and he went further to describe the topography in terms of the sublime, a concept that resonated with writers, artists, and thinkers during the early 19th century: "Water scenery in immense expanse combined with wood." While the specific location of this watercolor drawing is unknown, it represents Latrobe's documentation of the sublime in nature, and may be a generalized depiction of a place from memory. The overall style of the work correlates to Latrobe's other watercolor drawings, many of which have been published. See Edward C. Carter II, John C. Van Horne, and Charles E. Brownell, Latrobe's View of America, 1795-1820: Selections from the Watercolors and Sketches (Yale University Press: New Haven and London, 1985), pg. 10-12.