Great+Horseshoe+Fall,+Niagara,+The

Date: 1820
 * [[image:https://s3.amazonaws.com/saam.media/files/styles/x_large/s3/images/1966/1966.82.1_1a.jpg?itok=4kw4AdOi width="309" height="218" link="@https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/great-horseshoe-fall-niagara-8341"]] || Title: **The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara**

Artist: **Alvan Fisher** Born: Needham, Massachusetts 1792 Died: Dedham, Massachusetts 1863

Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: 34 3/8 x 48 in. (87.2 x 122.0 cm.) Smithsonian American Art Museum Museum purchase

Accession: 1966.82.1 || Two scenes by Fisher (this painting and Fisher's //A General View of the Falls of Niagara//) capture the thrill of visiting Niagara Falls, a site in upstate New York that quickly became a symbol of the continent's epic scale and natural beauty. Tiny figures throw out their arms as if trying to describe to one another the vastness of what they see. Elegant tourists peer decorously across the chasm through opera glasses, while one young lady covers her ears against the stupendous noise. Reckless young men lie on their stomachs, daring one another to draw closer to the rock's edge.
 * Gallery Label: **

Spanning the canvas from the sweep of clouds to the rainbow arcing into the water spray, Alvan Fisher's view of Niagara Falls conveys the amazing spectacle of this natural wonder. Underscoring the immediacy of the scene, young men are oposed at the bring, a dog is silhouetted against the water, and a young woman covers her ears to block out the water's thunderous roar.


 * Suggested Questions: **
 * Select one of the people in the image, preferably one you can see well. What are you doing, seeing, hearing, feeling? (have a volunteer report back)
 * What words would you use to describe this landscape? (e.g. powerful, impressive, vast, amazing, etc.)
 * How does the artist create this landscape? (scale of people, girl holding her hands over her ears gives an impression of huge sound, etc.)

Land and Landscape Pre-Visit Graphic Organizer A list of several resources about Alvan Fisher. Most contain biographical information or general information about his treatment Niagara Falls A diagram of Niagara Falls, printed originally for an exhibition brochure The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara - Thesis Exerpt The Great Horseshoe Fall, Niagara - Elementary TAH Notes
 * Resources: **

Artist Biography SAAM Collections Page
 * Links: **