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Freedom

John Vanderlyn, Niagara and the Rapids, ca. 1801-1802, oil on paper mounted on board, 14 1/2 x 46 1/2 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2006.54. Photography by Dwight Primiano.

Additional Resources

Exhibition - Black Unity

John Vanderlyn
Niagara and the Rapids

  • Where did the artist position our vantage point as a viewer? How does it shape the way you look at and understand the painting?

Despite the intimate scale of this painting, the long, narrow, panoramic format and bird’s eye viewpoint emphasize the magnitude of the horseshoe-shaped falls and grandeur of the surrounding landscape. By the early nineteenth century, Niagara became a symbol of the young nation’s strength, splendor, and natural abundance.

John Vanderlyn began his career in the studio of Gilbert Stuart. Under the patronage of the New York Senator, and later Vice President, Aaron Burr, he became the first American painter to study in Paris, rather than in London.

  • American's landscape shapes and is shaped by national identity. Based on what you can see in this painting, what can you assume about the artist's (and/or larger society's) attitudes toward nature?
  • How did the founders envision America and how has that vision changed over time?

Content Contributors

Exhibition sponsored by Kenneth C. Griffin

Learning and engagement programming for
We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy is sponsored by:

Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr. Foundation | Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates, & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. | Johnny and Jeanie Morris, Bass Pro Shops | Alturas Foundation | Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc. | Sotheby’s | Bob and Becky Alexander | Marybeth and Micky Mayfield | Lamar and Shari Steiger | Jeff and Sarah Teague / Citizens Bank | Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities | Avis and Bill Bailey | Scarlett and Neff Basore | June Carter Family | Terri and Chuck Erwin | Jackye and Curtis Finch | The Harrison and Rhonda French Family | Jim and Susan von Gremp | Laurice Hachem | Shannon and Charles Holley | Valorie and Randy Lawson / Lawco Energy Group | Donna and Mack McLarty | Steve and Susan Nelson | Neal and Gina Pendergraft | Helen Porter | JT and Imelda Rose | Lee and Linda Scott | Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Catherine and Michael Mayton, Trustees | William Reese Company

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