Near the White Cliffs, Mohonk (from Sketchbook) 1870

Daniel Huntington made this graphite sketch titled 'Near the White Cliffs, Mohonk,' and it's now part of a sketchbook in the Met's collection. Huntington, born in 1816, lived through a time of massive territorial expansion and the displacement of Native peoples. This sketch of the Shawangunk Ridge presents an interesting contrast. On one hand, it's a seemingly innocent landscape drawing, part of the Hudson River School tradition, which often focused on the sublime beauty of the American landscape. On the other hand, it prompts us to consider the complex history of land ownership and use. How did Huntington, a privileged white artist, perceive his relationship to this land, especially considering the Indigenous presence and historical claims to it? Huntington was capturing a place that held layers of meaning and memory, not all of which may have been visible or acknowledged at the time. It's a reminder that landscapes are never neutral; they are always loaded with cultural and historical significance.