Artist
J. Kick
CultureEnglish or European
Titles
- View of Houston
Datec. 1846
Place depictedHouston, Texas, United States
MediumWatercolor on wove rag paper with gelatin highlights on secondary support of wove paper
DimensionsImage: 4 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (11.4 × 16.5cm)
Sheet: 8 1/2 × 11 3/16 in. (21.6 × 28.4cm)
Sheet: 8 1/2 × 11 3/16 in. (21.6 × 28.4cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Meredith J. Long
Object numberB.74.22
Non exposé
Explore Further
Department
Bayou BendObject Type
When this watercolor was executed, the city of Houston was only about ten years old, and Texas had just been annexed by the United States. The image, portraying Houston as a European mountain village, is geologically and architecturally impossible. Evidently, it was made by an artist who had never visited Houston or who simply romanticized its appearance to lure settlers to the new state. It appeared in print form, which suggests its promotional intention.
ProvenanceUnknown auction, England; purchased by Meredith Long (1928–2020), Houston; given to MFAH, 1974.
Exhibition History"American Made: 250 Years of American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, July 7, 2012–October 15, 2013.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscribed, lower right of image: JKICK
J. WHATMAN TURKEYMILL 1846 watermark
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
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