Boat with four people headed down center, horse and rider on strip of land to left of boat; cliff left, woods right.
Canal Scene Moonlight illustrates a horse slowly pulling a narrow boat in which two men and two women take in the evening scenery. A jagged cliff face rises sharply above the water, seemingly holding back endless wilderness. The passengers and horse do not struggle against the power of the fast-moving river as their way has been made easier by the addition of a canal. Currier & Ives highlighted the industrialization and settlement of the frontier through integration with the natural landscape. Horse-drawn boats were especially popular and allowed the movement of goods and people with relative ease.
