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Eagle Cliff, Franconia, New Hampshire
Jervis McEntee (1828-91)
Initialed and dated lower left: JME 1866
Oil on canvas, 16 x 28 inches
Private collection
Autumn is a season of dramatic change, drenched in melancholy and yearning, which brings a fiery end to the yearly cycle. For Jervis McEntee, much of whose life was spent in the Hudson River valley, it was a season that resonated with his artistic aspirations. This view of Eagle Cliff looking across Profile Lake in Franconia Notch is one of only two known paintings by McEntee of the White Mountain region. It is a perspective painted by other artists as well. The viewer is drawn into the overall mood conveyed by McEntee's scenes before becoming engaged with the charming details that clearly document his love of drawing from nature. He captured the "soul" of a subject as readily as he could render its physical aspects.
