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Antebellum America

American art between the young republic and the Civil War.

33 works · hang 2643 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. Landscape, by Jasper F. Cropsey, before 1918
    LandscapeJasper F. Cropsey, before 1918Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. This is a drawing of various sketches related to woodcutting or carpentry. The drawing features several pencil sketches on tan paper. On the left side, there are depictions of a barrel or basket, and beneath it, several outline sketches of figures engaged in activities involving woodwork. The right side of the drawing shows a figure bent over a large beam or branch. The sketches are simple, with minimal detail, capturing the basic form and movement of the figures and objects involved in woodwork-related activities.
    Soldiers felling sapling, and weaving saplings into baskets [verso]Winslow Homer, 1862Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. This painting shows a maritime landscape with an expansive view of the ocean and sky. The horizon is positioned in the lower third of the composition, meeting a clear sky with soft, diffused clouds. Two ships appear to be engaged in a conflict on the green, wave-filled water. One large sailing ship with fully extended sails is near the bottom right corner of the painting. It has two tall masts and multiple white sails, and it flies the flag of the U.S.A in several places. The body of this ship is gray with a wide white stripe, and cannons stick out of small holes across the ship. Small people climb on ropes up into the sails, which are covered in small white and gray dots, perhaps indicating holes. Another ship is visible in the distance on the left side of the painting, and its cannons appear to be firing, with bursts of yellow flame and smoke drifting across the water. This ship flies several flags in shades of red, blue, and white. In the background, the faint gray silhouettes of other ships can be seen across the water. The ocean is depicted with smooth brushstrokes in shades of green and white, and the wide sky is a gradient, with light blue at the top and pale yellow towards the horizon. Faint white clouds drift in the top left corner of the painting.
    The United States Frigate "President" Engaging the British Squadron, 1815Fitz Henry Lane, 1850Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Portrait of a Young Girl with Rose, by Oliver Tarbell Eddy, ca. 1838
    Portrait of a Young Girl with RoseOliver Tarbell Eddy, ca. 1838Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

First room, south wall

  1. A young woman with pale, peachy skin, wearing a long, flowing white dress, stands in front of a white curtain in this vertical portrait painting. Her auburn-red hair cascades down over and behind her shoulders. She looks to our left with green eyes, and her pink, full lips are closed. Her dress has puffed shoulders above a white-on-white striped pattern on the long sleeves. She stands on an animal pelt; it is not clear whether it is a wolf or a bear. The pelt spans the width of the painting and overlaps a blue patterned carpet. The animal’s mouth gapes to show sharp teeth. Its glassy eyes are wide open, and it seems to look at us. The edges of the animal skin are red. The woman holds a white lily by her side in her left hand, while yellow and purple flowers lie scattered on the pelt.
    Symphony in White, No. 1: The White GirlJames McNeill Whistler, 1861-1863, 1872Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. EAGLE LAKE, MT. DESERT
    Eagle Lake, Mt. DesertDaniel Huntington, August 23, 1856Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  3. There are two teapots in the image. The larger teapot has a decorative pattern of red leaves and blue curve on an olive-green background, with a white handle. The smaller teapot has a dark brown glossy finish. The color palette consists of earthy tones like browns, olive green, red, and blue. The larger teapot is positioned slightly to the right, behind the smaller one, which is in the foreground on a reflective green surface. The background has a light beige appearance.
    Asian Tea PotsHenry Farrer, n.d.Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, south wall

  1. Major Thomas Biddle, by Thomas Wilcocks Sully, 1832
    Major Thomas BiddleThomas Wilcocks Sully, 1832Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. THE ARTIST'S WIFE SOPHIE
    The Artist's Wife SophieDaniel Huntington, 1853Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  3. Self-Portrait, by Oliver Tarbell Eddy, ca. 1850
    Self-PortraitOliver Tarbell Eddy, ca. 1850Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  4. Landscape with Haywain, by Worthington Whittredge, 1861
    Landscape with HaywainWorthington Whittredge, 1861Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Second room, north wall

  1. The Power of Music, by William Sidney Mount, 1847
    The Power of MusicWilliam Sidney Mount, 1847Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. We look across and down into a valley with a person sitting near a tall tree and a train puffing smoke beyond, all enclosed by a band of mountains in the distance in this horizontal landscape painting. Closest to us, several broken, jagged tree stumps are spaced across the painting’s width. A little distance away and to our left, the person wears a yellow, broad-brimmed hat, red vest, and gray pants. He reclines propped on his left elbow near a walking path beside a tall, slender tree with golden leaves. The green meadow stretching in front of him is dotted with tree stumps cut close to the ground. Beyond the meadow, puffs of white smoke trail behind a long steam locomotive that crosses a bridge spanning a tree-filled ravine, headed to our left. The ravine creates a diagonal line across the canvas, moving subtly away from us to our left. The train has climbed out of the valley, away from a cluster of brick-red buildings. The most prominent structure is a train roundhouse, a large building with a high, domed roof to the right of the tracks. Smoke rises from chimneys on long, warehouse-like buildings, and a steeple and smaller structures suggest a church and homes to our left. Hazy in the distance, a row of mountains lines the horizon, which comes about halfway up the composition. The sky above deepens from pale, shell pink over the mountains to watery, pale blue above. The artist signed the work in tiny letters in the lower left corner: “G. Inness.”
    The Lackawanna ValleyGeorge Inness, c. 1856Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The image is a portrait painting showing a man's upper body. He is positioned slightly turned to his right, with his head facing the viewer. The man has fair skin, defined cheekbones, and small, bright eyes. His hair is short, neatly combed, and grey or white. He is wearing a dark coat over a white shirt with a high collar, partially visible. The background is a muted, dark color, providing a simple setting that emphasizes the subject. There are no visible jewelry or objects in the image.
    Aaron BaldwinFrancis Alexander, c. 1835Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Third room, north wall

  1. STUDY OF SEASCAPE. PORCUPINE ISLANDS, BAR HARBOR, ME
    Study of seascape. Porcupine Islands, Bar Harbor, MEWilliam Stanley Haseltine, 1859Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  2. Trees along Stream in Fall, by William Trost Richards, 1861
    Trees along Stream in FallWilliam Trost Richards, 1861Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum