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Mount Washington from Sunset Hill, North Conway
Captain L. Lüthÿ
Signed lower right: L. Lüthÿ
Not dated, probably 1854 or 1855
Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 inches
Private collection
The White Mountains attracted the attention of European as well as American painters during the nineteenth century. The enigmatic Captain Lüthÿ was among a group of talented Europeans who at mid-century captured the American landscape through close observation and realistic delineation of nature. This is one of three known views of Mount Washington from Sunset Hill by Lüthÿ. His extant works with American subject matter-ranging from New York and New Jersey to Manchester, New Hampshire, and the White Mountains-date from either 1854 or 1855. The square format of Lüthÿ's known canvases, with their sharp detail, cool blue skies, and rich earth tones, represents a combination of elements more typical of European than of American art.
