River running down center of image. Cliffs and trees to left. Cliffs and three houses to right. Jutting rock lower center with two men sitting, shaking hands.

The appeal of frontier life conveyed by Currier & Ives was not the mastery of the natural world but rather to live in harmony with nature. Split Rock conveys this connection with subtlety. Two men are seated on a rock in the foreground and one man extends his hand to the other in a gesture of goodwill. The men are dwarfed by the choppy waters of the Saint John River, a reminder of the vast and often formidable presence of the natural world. On the far side of the river new houses are nestled within the tree line, overlooking the water. These cozy country homes are a literal representation of living at the edge of wilderness, as many Americans experienced on the frontier.

Object Creator

Currier & Ives (American, 1834-1907)

Object Creation Date

Undated

Medium

Hand-colored lithograph

Dimensions

13 1/4 x 10 1/8 inches

Credit

Gift of Lenore B. and Sidney A. Alpert supplemented with Museum Acquistions Funds

Accession Number

2004.D03.113

On View?

No

Image Request

Request Image for Reproduction