At the Foot of Bridal Veil 1911

Editor: We're looking at "At the Foot of Bridal Veil," an oil on canvas painted in 1911 by Thomas Hill. It immediately gives me this sense of vastness, the waterfall looks incredibly powerful. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: This work really exemplifies the popular, almost obsessive interest in the American West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It’s a romantic vision, isn't it? Do you see how the figure at the bottom is dwarfed by the landscape? Editor: Yes, definitely. It makes me feel quite small just looking at it! So, the painting is meant to highlight nature's power? Curator: Precisely. And consider who was consuming these images. Rapid industrialization and urbanization were underway, and landscape paintings like this offered a vicarious escape. This idealised version of nature served as a visual counterpoint to the anxieties of modern life, it was a very lucrative way to commodify the 'wild west'. Think about how railroads also shaped access to and perceptions of these landscapes, selling the journey and the destination as part of a packaged experience. What kind of socio-political function do you think paintings like this one might have had? Editor: It feels like it's almost promoting the idea of the American frontier, perhaps as a kind of national identity? Curator: Exactly! These images contributed to a mythologized view of the West. A mythologized and greatly simplified view that overlooked the complex realities of Indigenous populations and resource exploitation, though. I wonder how the market and these works have shaped what and how we know of the American West today? Editor: I see what you mean. I hadn't considered it that way before, I was too absorbed in its grandeur. This gives me a new way to appreciate art! Curator: It really does help add another dimension, seeing the culture behind it!