Lake George, Free Study

Kensett restricted his palette in this small study of Lake George, in upstate New York, to a limited range of contrasting colors. He applied the paint thinly, and his brushwork created a uniformly textured surface. The restrained composition is interrupted at the right by a minute white sail and two rowboats, one with a brilliant patch of red, which provide a sense of scale.

Credit: Gift of Thomas Kensett, 1874...