“Lake at Sunset”
“Lake at Sunset” is an oil on canvas painting by the American artist, John William Casilear, from 1863. Casilear was part of what is known as the second generation of the Hudson River School of Art and its associated school, Luminism.
In this piece, Casilear depicts an unknown lake at sunset. In the foreground, two people are sitting in a small boat disembarking from the shore. The trees and rocks in the foreground stand stark against the background. The water reflects the color of the sky, imbued with peach, orange, and cream tones. Clouds barely visible in the sky reflect the fiery glow of the setting sun. The silhouette of the land in the background is just a shade darker than the sky and water.
Casilear is remembered for his light-infused landscapes, referred to as Luminism. Additionally, the scenes he depicted were natural and realistic, rather than the large scope, and often aesthetic compilation landscape scenes that generally characterized the first generation of the Hudson River School of Art. His landscapes show the effect of human occupation, as opposed to the wild, untouched landscapes of the first generation of Hudson River School artists.
Casilear’s art focused on the landscapes of New England. He remained a permanent resident of New York City but spent his summers traveling and painting with his friends. Some recurring subjects include the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Genesee River valley of New York and Pennsylvania, and the Adirondacks and Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York State. Lake George in the southern Adirondacks was a favorite subject for him.
Casilear painted this piece when he was 52, just six years after he was finally able to quit his engraving job and devote himself to his art full time, and two years after the onset of the American Civil War. This painting was last sold at a Sotheby’s auction on November 30, 1989.
“Lake at Sunset” is currently in a private collection.
For more on John William Casilear, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
