Mohonk (from Sketchbook) 1870

Daniel Huntington’s "Mohonk," a graphite sketch on paper, presents an open book revealing landscape studies. The light graphite lines form the outlines of a scene at Mohonk. These sketches capture not just topographical accuracy but also the transient effects of light and atmosphere. The structural use of line in Huntington's sketches explores the very process of seeing and recording. Through rapid, almost shorthand notations, Huntington investigates the essence of form, stripping away detail to reveal underlying structures. The act of sketching, therefore, becomes a philosophical inquiry into the nature of perception and representation. The sketch embodies the artist's direct engagement with the landscape and his attempt to distill its forms into essential components. It’s a study in how marks on paper can evoke the feeling of a real place.