Kneeling Figure of Harbes

Although John Frederick Kensett is generally remembered for painting luminous skies and still waters, here his short, brushy strokes convey topographical detail and an atmospheric sense of movement, with dark clouds gathering above the horizon and autumnal foliage roiling in the blustery wind. By the time he created Lake George, the site had been painted by Hudson River School artists for nearly fifty years. Kensett frequented Lake George during the summers, producing many sketches and paintings.