Mist Rising at Sunset in the Catskills c. 1861

Sanford Robinson Gifford created this oil on canvas painting titled, Mist Rising at Sunset in the Catskills. Gifford’s tranquil image of the Catskill Mountains resonates with the 19th-century American concept of Manifest Destiny. The visual codes within the painting convey a sense of divine blessing upon westward expansion. The sublime landscape embodies the belief that Americans were destined to control and cultivate the North American continent. Painted during a period of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and westward expansion in the United States, it is easy to see how this landscape could embody both the promise of economic opportunity and freedom. It also serves as a reminder of the environmental impact of human progress, a theme common in the arts and literature of the time. By exploring these socio-political contexts, we can gain a deeper understanding of the values, beliefs, and anxieties that shaped artistic production in 19th-century America.