Niagara

_Niagara_, located on the homeland of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), is among the greatest natural wonders of North America. Beginning in the late 17th century, the site became a popular but challenging subject for European artists. An ambitious painter, Church was sure he could capture the power and beauty of Niagara Falls.

In this view of the sweeping expanse of Horseshoe Falls, Church plunges us directly into the rushing water. His detailed painting combines frothing waves and water sheeting over rock surfaces. As one writer described the painting in 1857, “This is Niagara, with the roar left out!”