VAM galleries including this work:
The Filson Historical Society | Kentucky Past and Present || VAM Home

This painting depicts the entrance to Mammoth Cave. Above the cave is a wooded area with an abundance of trees. Some believe this work is the first painting ever made of this area. The painting appears hazy, as if it was painted on a hot day.

About the Artist

Carolus Brenner was the son of Kentucky landscape artist Carl Christian Brenner (1838-1888). Carolus studied art in Germany and possibly in France in the 1880s and 1890s.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: What part of this painting are your eyes drawn to? How did Brenner keep the composition balanced even though the cave is on the left side of the painting? How did the artist make the painting look soft and hazy? Is this what Mammoth Cave looks like today? Why or why not? Compare this work by Carolus Brenner to Angel Falls by his father, Carl C. Brenner, also in the Filson Historical Society gallery. What similarities and differences do you notice between the works of father and son?

Activities: Learn about Mammoth Cave. Under what type of land do caves form? How do they form? How was Mammoth Cave discovered? Why is it famous?

Make a list of other noteworthy natural sites in Kentucky. Choose one and create a report about it, including a drawing or painting of the site.

Link

Learn more about Mammoth Cave at the National Park Service web site.
[www.nps.gov/maca/]