William Hart - An Autumn Day
William Hart (1823-1894), British-American
An Autumn Day, 1865
OIL ON CANVAS, 18 x 31 ½ inches
The earliest of three paintings by William Hart in the Athenaeum's collection, An Autumn Day appears to portray Whiteface Mountain in New York's Adirondack Mountains. The peaceful scene depicts the pristine American landscape with deer wading quietly in the foreground river. Whereas many of William Hart's landscapes represent the impact of man on the landscape, this painting evokes idyllic serenity.