Sanford R. Gifford, A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove), oil on canvas, 1862, 48 x 39 7/8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Maria DeWitt Jesup, from the collection of her husband, Morris K. Jesup, 1914, 15.30.62. View in Scrapbook
Gifford painted Kauterskill Clove from a spot looking west towards Haines Falls, in the opposite direction from Cole and Durand's paintings. Some art historians consider Gifford a luminist painter, whose style is characterized by soft forms, light colors, and a shift in attitude towards the environment. Whereas Cole's image of the Clove sought to inspire fear and suspense, later paintings such as Gifford's are meant to evoke quiet contemplation of the landscape. In Kauterskill Clove, human presence is minimal: a hunter and his dog scramble up the cliff, and a tiny cottage appears at the bottom of the Clove. The sunlight infuses the scene with a golden haze, encouraging the viewer to become absorbed in the elevating scene. 2