Description
Cole visited Italy in 1831 and made a small pencil sketch of this vista of Florence shortly before sunset. In his New York studio six years later, he transformed the drawing into this large oil painting, adding picturesque humans and goats to the foreground. Exhibiting View of Florence alongside a painting of the Catskill Mountains in New York in 1837, Cole set out to prove that he had mastered the very different landscapes of the Old and New Worlds.
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio (1961-); (Victor Spark, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1960-1961); Francis Moro, New York, NY, sold to Victor Spark1 (Until 1960); Private collector, New York, NY, sold to Francis Moro1 (?); (Antique store, New York, NY, sold to a private collector)1 (?); Henry James, Sr. [1811-1882], New York, NY1 (By 1854-?); Edward James, New York, NY, probably to his brother, Henry James, S1 (By 1848-before 1854); Jonathan Mason, Boston1 (by 1839); Possibly Mr. Hunt, Boston1 (1838-1839?)
Accession Number
1961.39
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
Framed: 125.4 x 186.7 x 9.2 cm (49 3/8 x 73 1/2 x 3 5/8 in.); Unframed: 99.5 x 160.4 cm (39 3/16 x 63 1/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
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