ROBERT S. DUNCANSON

Robert S. Duncanson (1821-1872) Kennedy Peak, in the Shenandoah, Page County, Virginia15 -1/2 by 21-1/2 inches, oil on canvas.
 
Excerpt from catalog:This atmospheric mountain river landscape is situated in the Shenandoah Valley in Page County, VA. It depicts the historical crossing, Ruffner's Ferry, along the South Fork Shenandoah River looking north at Kennedy Peak (known in Duncanson's time as Kanadys Peak)
Duncanson captures a hazy day as a canoe with figure slides across the river. He also captures the fuzzy undergrowth masking the baldness of the majestic mountains. In the mid-19th century, the Shenandoah Valley was clear-cut to feed nearby pig iron furnaces such as the Isabella and Catherine. Duncanson often stopped to sketch at ferry crossings, along the routes he traveled. Ruffner's Ferry was a well-known crossing spot on the river. Today the wilderness has grown back, but much of this spot is now under water because the river has been dammed, thus making the water level much higher.Meyer Fine Art would like to thank Rod and Isabell Graves of The Shenandoah Heritage Village at the Luray Caverns for helping identify this spot..