Who painted Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2]?

Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2] was painted by Robert Swain Gifford in 1865.

Where can I see Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2]?

Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2] is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2]?

Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2] is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2]

Robert Swain Gifford , 1865

Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2] is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Robert Swain Gifford. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Old Trees at Naushon Island, plate 2, is an 1865 etching by American landscape artist Robert Swain Gifford. Executed as a single‑plate print, the work measures the artist’s interest in New England’s coastal scenery and reflects the mid‑nineteenth‑century fascination with rugged natural forms.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a solitary, gnarled tree perched amid a rocky outcrop. Its twisted, leafless limbs are rendered with stark, angular lines, suggesting both the harshness of the environment and the resilience of the lone figure against a sparse, almost invisible sky. Small shrubs and scattered stones populate the foreground, reinforcing the sense of an untamed shoreline.

Technique & Style

Gifford employed traditional intaglio etching, incising the image into a copper plate with acid‑resistant grounds and needle work. The resulting grooves retain ink, producing deep, velvety blacks that contrast with the paper’s light surface. The artist’s line work is precise yet expressive, using cross‑hatching to convey texture in bark and stone.

Context

Created during a period when American artists were documenting regional landscapes, the print aligns with the Hudson River School’s emphasis on natural grandeur. Naushon Island, part of the Elizabeth Islands off Massachusetts, offered a remote, unspoiled setting that appealed to Gifford’s interest in atmospheric, coastal subjects.

Legacy

While not among Gifford’s most widely reproduced works, this etching illustrates his facility with the medium and his contribution to the visual record of New England’s maritime environment. It remains a reference point for scholars studying the intersection of printmaking and American landscape art in the 1860s.