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MOUNT CHOCORUA
John William Casilear (1811–93)
Signed and dated lower right: JWC ’67
Oil on canvas, 11 ½ x
18 inches
Private collection
John William Casilear’s Mount Chocorua was representative of the growing popularity of atmospheric painting during the late nineteenth century. The passing-storm motif was also common among landscapes painted at the end of the Civil War by John William Casilear and his contemporaries. It has frequently been interpreted as an allegory of restored peace and a brighter future ahead. Apart from the painting’s legendary and national associations that may have appealed to exhibition audiences and art collectors, the scene most likely held specific personal associations for the artist. The painting is signed and dated 1867, the same year that the New York artist married Helen M. Howard from Tamworth, New Hampshire.
