
Collection Online as of January 29, 2023
(American, 1838/45–1911)
Watercolor and gouache over graphite
Support: Modern laid paper, laid down on cream(1) wove paper
Sheet: 34.3 x 47.4 cm (13 1/2 x 18 11/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Noah L. Butkin 1976.115
not on view
This watercolor reveals the technical virtuosity of Harry Fenn, an illustrator famed for his rich handling of detail and his bizarre sense of fantasy. As a young man, Fenn sketched widely in the United States for a lavish two-volume set titled Picturesque America. After 1881, he devoted himself to watercolor painting and illustrating. This watercolor represents Lake Memphremagog, which extends across the border of America and Canada, from North Vermont into South Quebec.