Who painted Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River?

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River was painted by William H. Bell in 1872.

Where can I see Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River?

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River?

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River

William H. Bell , 1872

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River is a photography by the Impressionist artist William H. Bell. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

You see a steep canyon wall glowing in late sunlight, the Colorado River cutting a dark line at the bottom.

Bell took this picture on a government survey trip in 1872. He wasn’t just making art—he was helping map the West. The same spot appears in another photo he shot the same day, looking the opposite way.

For more of these quiet western scenes, look up the subject america.

Overview

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River is a photograph taken in 1872 by William H. Bell, staff photographer for the Wheeler expedition, a government-sponsored survey of the Southwestern United States.

Subject & Meaning

The photograph captures a moment in the Grand Canyon, specifically Kanab Creek canyon, with a steep canyon wall illuminated by late sunlight and the Colorado River visible as a dark line at the bottom, highlighting the natural geography of the region.

Technique & Style

While specific technical details of the photograph are not provided, the composition reflects the expedition's practical purpose, prioritizing documentary clarity over artistic embellishment, characteristic of 19th-century survey photography.

History & Provenance

Taken during the Wheeler expedition (1871-1873), this photograph is part of a series documenting the Southwestern U.S. Another view of the same location, looking west, is also attributed to Bell (Grand Cañon, Colorado River, Mouth of Kanab Wash, Looking West, 1997.130).

Context

The photograph serves both as a historical record of the region's topography and as part of the broader effort to map and understand the American West during the late 19th century.

Legacy

As part of the Wheeler expedition's photographic record, it contributes to the visual and geographical knowledge of the American West, available for study alongside similar works under the subject 'america'.