Artwork

View of Hills near Mahabaleshwar

View of Hills near Mahabaleshwar, by Colin Murray, 1874
View of Hills near Mahabaleshwar, by Colin Murray, 1874

View of Hills near Mahabaleshwar is a photography by the Impressionist artist Colin Murray. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

View of Hills near Mahabaleshwar is a photograph created circa 1874 by Colin Murray, currently part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.

Subject & Meaning

The photograph depicts a serene, mist-shrouded hillside with distant, rounded mountains. The composition contrasts a dark, shadowed right side with a softly illuminated left, emphasizing the interplay of light and terrain.

Technique & Style

Muted browns and grays dominate the palette, evoking a calm, hazy atmosphere. The capture of light enveloping the hills achieves a balance between solidity and dreaminess, characteristic of mid-19th-century photographic approaches to realism.

History & Provenance

Created in the late 19th century (c. 1874), the work is attributed to Colin Murray. Its current custodian is The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Context

This photograph aligns with 19th-century artistic trends that sought to realistically capture everyday natural scenes, paralleling the broader Realist movement in art.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Colin Murray

Artist

Colin Murray

Colin Murray is a Northern Irish radio and television presenter. He has hosted the Channel 4 game show Countdown since 2022.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.