Hudson River and the Palisades

Friend probably painted this small watercolor during the same trip he took up the Hudson to gather imagery to create scenery for his larger theatrical enterprise, a moving panorama of American and Canadian scenery. Soon to become a stand-alone entertainment rivaling circular panoramas, scrolling paintings often depicted river journeys, especially American productions.

At various dates from 1854 and 1860, Friend exhibited his “Two Hours in America” in London, with narration, singing and a descriptive booklet, promoted it as “an extraordinary tour of 5,000 miles…. By far the longest painting in the world.” Didactic materials, complete with historical references, accompanied most panorama presentations and mirrored popular travel literature.