Chancel of Trinity Chapel, New York 1856

John William Hill or often J.W. Hill (January 13, 1812 – September 24, 1879) was a British-born American artist working in watercolor, gouache,... more

by John William Hill

Title

Chancel of Trinity Chapel, New York 1856

Artist

John William Hill

Medium

Painting - Oil On Canvas

Description

John William Hill or often J.W. Hill (January 13, 1812 – September 24, 1879) was a British-born American artist working in watercolor, gouache, lithography, and engraving. Hill's work focused primarily upon natural subjects including landscapes, still lifes, and ornithological and zoological subjects. In the 1850s, influenced by John Ruskin and Hill's association with American followers of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, his attention turned from technical illustration toward still life and landscape.
Hill presumably painted this watercolor in recognition of the new Trinity Chapel on West 25th Street. As the population of lower Manhattan swelled unrelentingly in the mid-nineteenth century, wealthy citizens moved to “uptowns” more and more northerly, making services at the original Trinity Church less convenient for them to attend. Designed in 1851 by Richard Upjohn, both buildings were central to the spiritual life of the city’s Anglican elite. The inaugural status of the chapel is here suggested by the baptismal ritual being conducted at left.

Uploaded

July 15th, 2020