dark image in greys, white and black of waterfall with black sky; line of gold glitter around edge of sheet

%C2%A9 1993 John Snyder

Niagara Falls, 1993

expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

John Snyder’s bird’s-eye view of a moonlit Niagara Falls is at once familiar and eerily enigmatic. Painted from memory in a limited color range of blacks, grays, and whites, the river landscape is devoid of manmade structures and human activity, as if the scene visualized the primordial ancestor of today’s falls. Snyder’s painting functions much like a religious icon, but instead of a holy entity, it features the venerated scenic wonder familiar to generations of tourists and newlyweds. Drawing on the visual language of folk art, Snyder formulated his landscape in a boldly graphic style that simplifies form and distorts pictorial perspective. This visual treatment, together with the landscape’s kitschy glitter border, further emphasizes its emblematic function as a traveler's momento.

Details
Title
Niagara Falls
Artist Life
born 1956
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.64.2
Provenance
The artist, Minneapolis; [Bockley Gallery, Minneapolis, sold in 1995 to McNeil]; Donald McNeil and Emily Galusha, Minneapolis, 1995 -2015; given to MIA, 2015.
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

dark image in greys, white and black of waterfall with black sky; line of gold glitter around edge of sheet

© 1993 John Snyder

Because of © restrictions, we can only show you a small image of this artwork.