Scanned from a slide and color corrected by Ed Pollard.

Woods of Ashokan

Artist Thomas Worthington Whittredge (American, 1820-1910)

Date1868

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions57 x 40 1/2 in. (144.8 x 102.9 cm)
Overall, Frame: 63 1/2 x 46 1/2 in. (161.3 x 118.1 cm)

ClassificationsAmerican art

Credit LineGift of Mr. Edward J. Brickhouse

Object number81.109

Terms

Trees
Woods
Landscape
Orange
Yellow
Brown
Olive Green
Hudson River School
New York

Collections

American Art before 1945

On View

On view

DescriptionThis is an oil on canvas painting of a forest in the Catskill Mountains, New York. It is vertically oriented, like the tall trees. The focus depicts a fallen tree, hovering over a stream, with a small bird perched on it, near the center. The sky in the distance is barely visible through leaves of the trees. The palette is primarily yellow, brown, olive, and orange: the colors of Autumn. The water, in the foreground, reflects the forest colors.

Label TextWorthington Whittredge American, 1820–1910 The Woods of Ashokan, 1868 Oil on canvas The sun’s golden rays filter into this upstate New York forest, immersing you in a warm and peaceful retreat. During and after the Civil War, appreciation for the natural world provided escape and healing from the unpleasant political and social realities at hand. Worthington Whittredge subtly enlivens The Woods of Ashokan with clues to the sounds of this space—a babbling brook, chirping birds—inviting you to linger and meditate within this pure and soothing world. Gift of Edward J. Brickhouse 81.109