Davis, Henry “Horse Shoe Fall, From S.W. Edge, Near The Table Rock”

Henry Davis. “Horse Shoe Fall, From S.W. Edge, Near The Table Rock.” 

London: Thomas McLean, May 1, 1848.  18 3/4 x 25 1/2.  Chromolithograph by J. Meedham and A. Laby.   With old tears extending into image and some minor surface wear.  Print archivally mounted on rag backing for strength.  Overall appearance is strong and attractive.  Images of Niagara: 199.

One from a set of four prints after drawings done in 1846 by Major Henry Davis while he was on duty in Canada with the 52nd Lt. Infantry.  These prints were made into very high quality chromolithographs, which well capture the feeling and power of Davis’ canvases.  As Jeremy Adamson remarked, “The four compositions are among the most romanticized conceptions of Niagara’s grandeur.”   This print is perhaps the most interesting image from the set, for it shows a non-existent rocky island–with two figures standing on it–depicted lying in the rapids just above the brink of the Horseshoe Falls.   Davis no doubt added this feature in order to be able to convey the size of the falls.  A lightning storm is shown over Grand Island in the background.