Indians Fording a River, Oregon

  • This flat, wide-open river scene exudes an expectant air. As if anticipating the arrival of a larger group, one figure looks back toward the dense thicket, while the other fords ahead in the background. The river’s large boulders and waterlogged branches jut out in large relief from the stream, calling into question its calm surface. Hints of Miller’s penciled underdrawing are visible throughout the work, most markedly, the diffuse rays of a setting sun peeping over the hillside are left visibly unfinished. The sepia toned gouache provides a beautiful tonal contrast in the work, breaking up the thick, dark strokes of vegetation with the more airy wash of the sky and water.

    Emily C. Wilson

    Artist
    Alfred Jacob Miller
    Date
    1837 -- 1874
    Catalogue Number
    409
    Medium
    Graphite, brush and wash on paper
    Dimensions
    5-7/8 x 9-9/16 (15 x 24.3 cm)
    Accession Number
    55.778
    Subjects
    Indians

    The artist; [?]; Maxim Karolik, Newport, RI; present owner by gift, 1955