On View
On viewObject number1989/90.2
(Untitled Landscape)
Artist
American, Unknown Artist
(American)
Date1850-1925
Mediumpastel
Dimensionsframe: 22 1/4 × 42 1/4 × 1 in. (56.5 × 107.3 × 2.5 cm)
image: 14 1/4 × 34 3/8 in. (36.2 × 87.3 cm)
image: 14 1/4 × 34 3/8 in. (36.2 × 87.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Gephardt
Label TextMid-to-late nineteenth-century American landscapes often presented nature as expansive, beautiful, and seemingly untouched. Such images, like Untitled Landscape, helped shape national identity and encouraged Americans to view nature as a source of pride, opportunity, and personal renewal. However, these representations frequently hid the presence of Indigenous peoples and the histories embedded within these lands. This pastel landscape reflects many of the artistic conventions of the period, including soft, hazy effects and an emphasis on the splendor and tranquility of the natural world. Today, Untitled Landscape and similar works ask viewers to consider not only what is depicted, but also who and what is left unseen in this vision of the American landscape.
[Label Text: For the People: America at 250 Exhibition, June 27 - October 4, 2026]
