View from Fishkill Looking to West Point. (No. 15 of the Hudson River Portfolio).
New York: Henry Megarey, 1826. Second state with "and transferred to " after the publisher. View from Fishkill Landing (Beacon, N.Y.) southwest towards Storm King, Crow's Nest and West Point from the famed "Hudson River Portfolio". Presaging the Hudson River School of Art, the twenty prints of the Portfolio illustrated the landscapes of almost the entire length of the Hudson River. The publication was considered one of the first to make Americans aware of the beauty of their own country, inspiring national pride and cultural identity. It is also foundational in the development of American printmaking. In this view, Pollepel Island (Bannerman's Island) is visible in the river, along with a steam ship. It is a beautiful depiction of the Hudson Highlands northern entrance.
It is thought that there were perhaps 150 copies of the print issued. (See Koke's check list # 92 where it is stated that the artist, John Hill submitted a bill for only 150 copies. ) The print is an aquatint with original hand color, and is a spectacularly bright unfoxed copy of this scarce and important print, which was recently used as the main image for Boscobel's exhibition of the Portfolio.
Printed Image 21 3/4 x 16 1/4", with large margins, framed in a handsome, solid birds-eye maple frame with acid-free wash mat & ultraviolet plexiglass (32 1/4 x 27 1/4").
Rare on the market: the last complete copy of the book that this plate was found in "The Hudson River Portfolio" sold in 1983 for $80,000. Item #6970
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