1836

Sunrise on a Mountain Lake

American, 1793 - 1856

This scene’s luminous palette, placid lake, bubbling waterfall, and steep cliffs exemplify Thomas Doughty’s often idyllic and romantic mode of landscape painting. As in some of the artist’s most successful compositions of the mid-1830s, a small, lone figure is shown immersed in quiet contemplation of nature. Although the Philadelphia-born Doughty also painted topographical views, his imaginative landscapes, many of which focused on specific times of day, proved particularly popular. The date of 1836 inscribed on the rock face on the right establishes that this picture was created during the time Doughty was painting, exhibiting, and teaching in Boston between 1832 and 1836.