Artwork
Lake Como, May 1, 1869 (recto, from sketchbook)
Lake Como, May 1, 1869 (recto, from sketchbook) is a gouache drawing by the Impressionist artist Jervis McEntee. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
You see a quick pencil sketch of Lake Como: soft mountains, a few bare trees, and a little boat tied to a dock.
McEntee drew this in one sitting while traveling in Italy. The date—May 1, 1869—is scribbled in the corner like a diary entry. It feels more like a memory than a finished picture.
If you like quiet, on-the-spot sketches, look up the subject *lakes, landscapes, american, lake, mountain*.
Overview
Jervis McEntee’s sketch titled *Lake Como, May 1, 1869* records a brief study made during his Italian travels. Executed on blue paper with graphite and touches of white gouache, the drawing captures a tranquil lakeside scene composed of a modest house, a small boat at a dock, and distant mountains under a clear sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a simplified view of Lake Como, emphasizing the calm water, sparse vegetation, and the gentle rise of the surrounding peaks. The limited detail and muted palette suggest a focus on personal recollection rather than a formal landscape narrative, offering a snapshot of the artist’s immediate visual impression.
Technique & Style
McEntee employed a rapid graphite underdrawing to outline the forms, then applied white gouache to highlight reflective surfaces and atmospheric light. The choice of blue paper provides a tonal foundation that unifies sky and water, while the sketch’s loose handling aligns with the on‑site studies typical of Hudson River School practitioners.
History & Provenance
Created on May 1, 1869, the work remained within McEntee’s personal papers before entering the American Wing collection. Though McEntee is less celebrated than some of his Hudson River School peers, his journals and sketches like this one contribute valuable documentation of 19th‑century American artists’ European journeys.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jervis McEntee (July 14, 1828 – January 27, 1891) was an American painter of the Hudson River School.
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