Hunting Scene with a Harbor

18th century

American 18th Century

Attributed to

Two pale-skinned horsemen and a pack of ten dogs race across a brown ridge overlooking a river in this long, horizontal painting. The horsemen turn to face us as they and the dogs chase an unidentifiable brown animal from right to left. The front rider wears a peacock-blue coat and black hat over gray hair, while the following rider wears a pewter-gray coat and darker hat over white hair. Most of the dogs have white coats dappled with tan or black spots and one dog is chocolate brown. A man walks along the ridge beyond the dogs and two more men further to the left are shown from the waist up beyond the crest of the ridge. Tall, leafy green trees are placed in four groupings across the left two-thirds of the landscape. The landscape beyond the trees transitions to paler brown and then shades of slate blue. A solitary windmill perches on a hill on the far left and faces gently sloping blue mountains rising in the far distance. Those blue mountains slope down to a wide, pearl-white river tinged with teal blue on the right. Tiny ships and sailboats travel the river, and buildings line the riverbank and cluster on the hills above. A muted blue-green sky filled with puffy white clouds with flax yellow highlights spans the top half of the scene.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 49.2 x 140.9 cm (19 3/8 x 55 1/2 in.)
    framed: 56.8 x 148.6 x 2.9 cm (22 3/8 x 58 1/2 x 1 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1970.17.103


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Ailsa Mellon Bruce [1901-1969], New York; bequest 1970 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1980

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 310, as by Unknown [Formerly Considered American].

1992

  • Chotner, Deborah, with contributions by Julie Aronson, Sarah D. Cash, and Laurie Weitzenkorn. American Naive Paintings. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 497-499, repro. 498.

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 405, repro.

Wikidata ID

Q20177712


You may be interested in

Loading Results