Oil on canvas (lined), unsigned, presented in a wood frame with star appliques.

Stretcher size 36 x 55 1/4 in.; Frame dimensions 40 x 59 1/4 in.

From a Private Collection, Washington, D.C.

The original painting by Cole was rendered in 1842 and is currently housed in the collection of the National Gallery of art. It was part of Cole's renowned four-part series that traced the journey of an archetypal hero along the River of Life.

The artist may have been issuing a warning to those caught up in the quest for Manifest Destiny: that westward expansion and industrialization would have tragic consequences for both man and nature. (Courtesy of the National Gallery.)

The canvas has been lined, with areas of retouching to the sky area visible under UV light.