Doughty, Thomas, The Highlands from West Point, 1839, Thomas Doughty

Thomas doughty, american, 1793–1856 the highlands from west point, 1839 watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper 24. 1 x 40. 5 cm. (9 1/2 x 15 15/16 in. ) museum purchase, gift of leonard milberg, class of 1953, in honor of his son-in-law, david h. Shapiro, class of 1992 1996-181 made on the spot, this signed and dated sketch is characteristic of doughty’s restrained yet lyrical watercolor manner, which combines a centralized viewpoint with carefully modulated line and brushwork to evoke the quiet grandeur of the hudson river. Synonymous with the revolutionary war site and the famed military academy, west point was also admired for its natural beauty by landscape artists such as doughty. He painted several grand panoramic vistas from this vantage point—looking northward to the hudson highlands, which dramatically frame the water. Date: 1839.