Bog Meadow Pond, West Point, 1871 (from Sketchbook) 1870

Daniel Huntington made this pencil drawing titled "Bog Meadow Pond, West Point" in 1871, from a sketchbook. Note how Huntington divides the composition roughly into thirds. The bottom third shows a densely worked foreground, almost vibrating with organic life. Vertical blades of grass, drawn with tight, nervous lines, are reflected in the water, creating a mirror image that doubles the visual information. This detailed foreground contrasts with the relative calm of the middle ground, where the pond sits, reflecting the distant mountain. Finally, in the background, Huntington sketches the faintest suggestion of a mountain range, anchoring the scene. It seems the artist is interested in the surface qualities of the landscape. By exploring the interplay of light and shadow, surface and depth, Huntington suggests a visual dialogue between the immediate and the distant, the tangible and the ethereal. The use of line and the balance of tonal values invites us to consider the formal structure.