El Capitan with Clouds Rest beyond, Yosemite 1901

Thomas Hill made ‘El Capitan with Clouds Rest beyond, Yosemite’ probably in the late nineteenth century, with oil paint. The first thing that strikes me is the light. It's not just sunlight; it’s a kind of hazy, ethereal glow that washes over everything. Hill uses these soft, blended brushstrokes, especially in the sky and on the distant mountains. You can feel the vastness of the landscape, but it's not just a postcard view. The paint is fairly thin, allowing for soft transitions and atmospheric effects. The way he renders the clouds is particularly interesting, with these feathery strokes that give them a real sense of movement and volume. Down in the foreground, near the trees, there are some interesting dark greens and browns, that really let the ethereal El Capitan sing. It almost reminds me of a Frederic Church. All painters have the same problems. How to render nature in all its glory? How to put a feeling on canvas? I think Hill gets there, without completely resolving anything.