Cornwall, 1871 (from Sketchbook) 1870

In 1871, Daniel Huntington sketched the landscape of Cornwall, capturing its rolling hills and sparse trees in delicate strokes. Here, the landscape itself serves as a canvas for deeper cultural meanings, and the hills evoke a sense of timelessness and continuity. The hill has been a symbol of refuge, and spiritual ascent in countless cultures. Think of Mount Olympus in Greek mythology, or the sacred hills in Shintoism. The way Huntington presents this image is reminiscent of how hills have been represented throughout art history, in Poussin's classical landscapes, or even earlier, in Chinese landscape paintings. Note how the hill rises in the background, a familiar element across epochs. They are an almost subconscious invitation to dream and explore, echoing the deep-seated human connection to nature.