Frederic Edwin Church
American, 1826­1900
Cotopaxi
1857
Oil on canvas
62.2 x 92.7 cm
Gift of Jennette Hamlin in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Dana Webster, 1919.753

The American landscape painter Church was not drawn to the historic landscapes of Europe, but instead was deeply committed to capturing the natural beauty of the New World. Beginning in 1853, he made several adventurous trips to the mountainous terrain of South America, where he found Ecuador’s Cotopaxi volcano a dramatic subject. Bright volcanic light and lush foliage fill this scene. Where does he place us, the viewers of this awesome sight, above it or below it?