View of West Point
after 1828
22 1/4 x 30 1/8 in. (56.5 x 76.5 cm)
Thomas Chambers
United States
(London, England, 1808 - after 1866)
Object Type:
Painting
Medium and Support:
Oil on canvas
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. Elsie McMath Cole in memory of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison H. McMath
Accession Number:
1943.43
Location: Not currently on view
At a time when there was no photography, videography, or cinema, people relied on landscape paintings to be their windows onto the world beyond their immediate horizons.
Thomas Chambers capitalized on people's interest in the American landscape. He is noted for his many picturesque views of early 19th-century America, including this one of the United States Military Academy at West Point on the Hudson River. Chambers worked from personal observation, but also consulted many British and American prints for his paintings.
You should not be surprised if you visit other museums and see a painting similar to this one. At least six other views of West Point were painted by Chambers.
[Gallery label text, 2004]