Chain of Spires Along the Gila River (Cadena de chapiteles a lo largo del río Gila)

ArtCollectionsAmerican and Western AmericanChain of Spires Along the Gila River (Cadena de chapiteles a lo largo del río Gila)

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Title

Chain of Spires Along the Gila River (Cadena de chapiteles a lo largo del río Gila)

Artist/Maker

John Mix Stanley, American, 1814 - 1872

Date

1855

Type Of Object

painting

Medium

oil on canvas

Credit Line

Museum purchase

Object Number

1968.20

Image Credit

Department

American and Western American

On View

Yes

Location

North Wing, Second Floor, Western American Art Gallery

Description

John Mix Stanley came through Arizona in 1846 as a topographical draftsman on one of the Western surveys. The artist painted two versions of this scene, the first was destroyed by fire in 1865. His earlier version was praised as a “ravishing view” of the Gila “as if they were the belongings to some other planet.” His stylized Edenic view portrays typical flora and fauna of the region.