Underneath Niagara Falls 1862

Ferdinand Richardt’s “Underneath Niagara Falls” (1862), now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts the awe-inspiring power of nature. The painting focuses on the base of the waterfall, with the cascade appearing as a majestic, misty curtain. Tiny figures at the precipice of the falls provide a human scale to the vast natural phenomenon, highlighting the sublime power of the natural world. This Romantic era masterpiece captures the grandeur of Niagara Falls in a dramatic and evocative way.