Spanish Peaks, Southern Colorado, Late Afternoon
Several dated works by Colman, a New Yorker, suggest that he made his first visit to the frontier in 1870, additional trips in 1871, 1886, and 1888, and a later journey sometime between 1895 and 1905. Unlike his earlier, more documentary accounts of pioneers and wagon trains, this canvas reflects the stylistic influence on Colman of the French Barbizon painters, who preferred to evoke mood with generalized forms and subtle color and tones. In a letter, Colman noted having juxtaposed here “masses of limestone rocks . . . which appear like the towers of a castle or fortress” in the middle distance with the Spanish Peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains beyond.
Artwork Details
- Title: Spanish Peaks, Southern Colorado, Late Afternoon
- Artist: Samuel Colman (American, Portland, Maine 1832–1920 New York)
- Date: 1887
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 31 1/8 x 72 1/4in. (79.1 x 183.5cm)
Framed: 40 1/16 x 81 1/8 x 4 5/16 in. (101.8 x 206 x 11 cm) - Credit Line: Gift of H. O. Havemeyer, 1893
- Object Number: 93.21
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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