Clear Creek Canyon, Rocky Mountains, Colorado

c. 1869

Ralph Albert Blakelock

Associated Names
Ralph Albert Blakelock

Artist, American, 1847 - 1919

The image shows a sketch of a mountainous landscape with a canyon seen from an elevated perspective. The mountains dominate the upper part of the image with loose and sparse lines indicating the contours and textures. The artist uses minimalistic and gestural brushstrokes, and a muted color palette of soft browns and grays. There are hints of vegetation and rocks in the foreground leading to steep, rocky formations. In the distance, the mountains seem to converge, possibly suggesting a pathway or river. The scene evokes a sense of untouched nature.

Media Options

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

Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Vose Galleries, Boston, Massachusetts); Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1948; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1975

  • Ralph Albert Blakelock, 1847-1919, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio; New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, 1975, p. 47, no. 118

1977

  • Changing Prospects: Views of America on Paper from the Corcoran Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (Tour of Canada), 1977-1979

Bibliography

1983

  • Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 98, no. 635.

Inscriptions

lower right in brown ink: Clear Creek Canyon, Rocky Mountains Colorado / Blakelock

Wikidata ID

Q64619746

You may be interested in

Loading Results