Scene from Byron's "Manfred" Yale University Art Gallery

1833

Landscape plays an integral role in this dramatic scene from Lord Byron’s "Manfred," written around 1816. In the poem, Manfred stands at the edge of a spectacular waterfall, summoning "the Spirit of the place," in the form of a beautiful Witch of the Alps. Although Thomas Cole omits the figure of Manfred, the ethereal female figure rises from the water’s spray beneath a rainbow, personifying the loveliness of nature. Cole described paintings like this one as "a higher style of landscape," works that meld idealized views with literary and historic content.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 50 × 38 in. (127 × 96.5 cm)
Credit Line: John Hill Morgan, B.A. 1893, LL.B. 1896, M.A. (Hon.) 1929, Fund
Accession Number: 1968.102
Geography: Made in Catskill, New York, United States
Culture: American
Period: 19th century
Classification: Paintings
Disclaimer: Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Josephine C. Gager, purchased by Yale University Art Gallery

Object copyright

No Copyright - United States

Additional information

Object/Work type

landscapes (representations)

Subject

Nature figures (representations) women

Signed

Signed l.l. "1833/ T.Cole"

Technical metadata and APIs

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