Artwork
Mountain Landscape
Mountain Landscape is a graphite drawing by the Impressionist artist John William Casilear. It dates from 1801 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
John William Casilear’s 1801 drawing, titled Mountain Landscape, presents a tranquil mountainous scene rendered in graphite on wove paper. The composition features a series of gentle hills, a meandering river, and scattered trees that cling to the slopes, all conveyed with a light, sketch‑like touch.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a serene natural environment, emphasizing the quiet continuity of the landscape. The river’s winding path and the soft transition of the hills suggest a harmonious relationship between water and land, inviting contemplation of the scene’s calm permanence.
Technique & Style
Executed solely with graphite, the drawing relies on loose, rapid strokes that give the image an unfinished, study‑like quality. The artist employs gradual tonal fading to push the distant mountains into the sky, creating atmospheric depth without the use of color.
History & Provenance
Created in 1801, the piece reflects Casilear’s early practice of on‑site sketching, a method common among American landscape artists of the period. The drawing has remained in private collections before entering its current institutional holding, where it is displayed as an example of early 19th‑century American topographical drawing.
Artist & collection
Raven Hill
Avalanche in an Alpine Landscape
Landscapes
The Sabine Hills and Rocca Santo Stefano Seen from Civitella
View of Cader Idris, Merioneth
Panorama on a Mountain Lake
Kauterskill Clove (from Sketchbook of Landscape and Animal Subjects)
Study for "View of Mt. Washington"
Chain of Alps from Grenoble to Chamberi
Landscape with Man Fishing, Conway, New Hampshire
Mountainous View from Antrodoco
Railroad on the Dalles of the St. Louis