Miner's Surprise by J. Willard Clawson
In this desert landscape, with its far-reaching mountains and endless skies, a group of miner's have set up temporary camp to mine for gold in the river; but it's the moment of surprise and suspense that is captured here, as a group of Native Americans have crested the hill and are on the path toward the mining group. Influences of Impressionism are evident in Clawson's work, using thickly applied paint, in a warm and bright colour palette, to portray the scene.
In 1881, Clawson (1858 - 1936) enrolled in a formal course of study at the National Academy of Design in New York. In 1891, he began his study at the Académie Julian in Paris where his instructors were Constant, Laurens, and Lefebre. Clawson had further study at the École des Beaux Arts under Edouard Manet and Claude Monet, the Impressionist masters.
Oil on Canvas
30 x 46 in.