# Landing at Sabbath Day Point

**John Frederick Kensett** (American, 1816–1872)  
c. 1853  
oil on canvas  
overall: 25.4 x 39.9 cm (10 x 15 11/16 in.) framed: 38.1 x 52.1 x 6.4 cm (15 x 20 1/2 x 2 1/2 in.)

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1968.7.1. [The museum's record](https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.50852.html).

## About this work

A large weathered rock with greenery and red flowers anchors the right foreground, while a wooden dock juts into the calm water of Lake George and a figure in red sits with his back to us, looking towards a pale green hill under a soft, cloudy sky. Sabbath Day Point, on the lake’s western shore, was a favourite stopping place for travellers and artists, and John Frederick Kensett returned to Lake George throughout his career. This early view already shows his love of calm water and gentle, even light.

_Written by Ochre Editions._

John Frederick Kensett painted this in about 1853, aged 37. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

### What you’re looking at

The painting depicts a tranquil lake scene with a low horizon line showing a pale green hill in the background under a pale, cloudy sky. Closer to us, on the right, there is a large, textured rock surrounded by greenery and red flowers. In the distance, a wooden dock extends into the lake on the left, and a person wearing red appears to sit or stand with their back to us.

_Description from the National Gallery of Art._

### How it was made

- **Oil paint.** Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.

### [John Frederick Kensett](https://www.ochreeditions.com/artists/john-frederick-kensett)

American, 1816–1872; born in Cheshire, Connecticut; died in New York

Kensett trained as an engraver before spending seven years in Europe, sketching in England and Italy. Back in New York in 1847 he became a leading figure of the second generation of the Hudson River School. His quiet coastal views of Newport, Long Island and Lake George, with broad still water and soft light, are central to what later writers called Luminism. He was a founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

_Written by Ochre Editions._

## Facts

- Type: Painting
- The artist was 37
- Real size: about 10 × 16 in (25 × 40 cm). The 12 × 16 in print is close to life size.
- Century: 19th century
- Movement: [Hudson River School](https://www.ochreeditions.com/movements/hudson-river-school)
- Subjects: United States, Waterway, New York, Lake George, Sabbath Day Point
- Colour: gold
- Rights: public domain (CC0 1.0); free to use for any purpose.

## Get it

- Free download, full resolution: https://img.ochreeditions.com/m/1538.jpg?dl=1
- Image: https://img.ochreeditions.com/a/1538/1920.jpg
- Giclée reproduction on Hahnemühle Photo Rag: 8 × 10 in $28; 11 × 14 in $38; 12 × 16 in $42; 16 × 20 in $56; 18 × 24 in $68; 20 × 30 in $86
- Framed reproduction: 8 × 10 in $78; 11 × 14 in $98; 12 × 16 in $108; 16 × 20 in $138; 18 × 24 in $164; 20 × 30 in $208
- Canvas reproduction: 8 × 10 in $58; 11 × 14 in $72; 12 × 16 in $79; 16 × 20 in $98; 18 × 24 in $118
- Print-ready file: 8 × 10 in $2; 11 × 14 in $2; 12 × 16 in $3; 16 × 20 in $3; 18 × 24 in $3; 20 × 30 in $5

Sizes stop where the museum's file would print below 150 pixels per inch. Everything sold is a reproduction, made to order. [Order a print](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/landing-at-sabbath-day-point-nga-50852).