Annapolis River 1882

Charles Adams Platt created this etching of the Annapolis River. Platt, an American artist born in 1861, worked during a period of significant industrial and urban expansion in the United States. Consider the Hudson River School painters who came before him, and their romantic portrayal of the American landscape as sublime and untouched. Platt turns to Europe, where he studied. The aesthetic, seen here in the monochromatic and miniature scale of the etching, embodies a different sensibility. The etching medium, with its fine lines, allows for a detailed depiction of the natural scenery, yet the overall effect is intimate rather than grandiose. There is a nostalgic longing, a yearning to capture a fleeting moment in time. The work then becomes not just a visual record but an emotional experience. It encourages a personal reflection on time, place, and memory.