Photo of collection object Natural Bridge, Virginia — Hill, John Henry. Natural Bridge, Virginia, 1876. Watercolor over graphite on very thick, slightly textured wove paper mounted to a secondary paper, 21 1/4 x 14 1/8 in. (54 x 35.9 cm). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard L. Milberg, 82.85.2. No known copyright restrictions.

Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum

Natural Bridge, Virginia

1876

John Henry Hill

American, 1839-1922

American Art

Like his father and teacher John William Hill (whose work is exhibited in another gallery), John Henry Hill embraced Ruskinian principles of outdoor study and truthful representation. For this image, the younger Hill selected a famous landmark, which, along with Niagara Falls, was considered one of the natural wonders of North America. His interest in the 215-foot-high stone arch also reflects a fascination with geology: Hill served as the staff artist for government expeditions surveying the American West in 1868 and 1870.

Original Source

Maker/Artist: Hill, John Henry
Classification: Watercolor
Formatted Medium: Watercolor over graphite on very thick, slightly textured wove paper mounted to a secondary paper
Medium: watercolor, over, graphite, very, thick, slightly, textured, wove, paper, mounted, secondary
Dimensions: 21 1/4 x 14 1/8 in. (54 x 35.9 cm)
Departments: American Art
Accession Number: 82.85.2
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard L. Milberg
Exhibitions: Brushed with Light: American Landscape Watercolors from the Collection, Masters of Color and Light: Homer, Sargent and the American Watercolor Movement
Rights Statement: No known copyright restrictions
Museum Location: American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Imagining the New Nation’s Landscape, 1800–1880
Dominant Colors

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