“Stop to appreciate the vibrant, almost theatrical sunset over Mount McIntyre, where the sky's fiery colors are mirrored in the water below, creating a powerful sense of natural drama.”
In James Henry Moser's "Sunset, Mount McIntyre," a dramatic twilight scene unfolds, dominated by a towering mountain silhouetted against a fiery sky. The peak of Mount McIntyre, rendered in deep blues and purples, stands majestically, its contours softened by the fading light. Below, a serene body of water reflects the last vestiges of the sun's glow, creating a mirror image of the vibrant hues above. The brushstrokes, particularly in the sky, are visible and energetic, capturing the fleeting intensity of the sunset. This painting, created in 1907, captures a moment of natural grandeur, inviting contemplation of the vastness and beauty of the American landscape. Moser, active in the early 20th century, often turned to such scenes, finding in them a powerful subject for his oil on canvas works.
- Artist
- James Henry Moser
- Date
- 1907
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The intense orange and yellow radiating from the horizon.
The deep purple and blue tones of the mountain, almost a silhouette.
The subtle reflections of the sky in the water below.
The visible brushwork, especially in the clouds and foreground.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Sunset, Mount McIntyre — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
James Henry Moser
1854–1913 · CanadaJames Henry Moser was a Canadian painter whose career spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Further Works by Moser
Self-Portrait
1887 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
A Bridge, Design for Washington Board of Trade Dinner, May 13, 1908
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Half-tone Engraving: How to Obtain a Patent, Copp & Co. Patent Attorneys, Washington, D.C.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
On Woodward's Farm
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Shipyard and Pier
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
The Capitol in Washington, D.C., for the Weekly Times
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Woodland Camp
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
More works to explore
Beyond Moser: works from the same years.
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Barber
Mikhail Larionov · 1907 · Russian Museum
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Consolation
Edvard Munch · 1907 · Munch Museum
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Landscape at L'Estaque
Georges Braque · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Nude with a Pitcher
Pablo Picasso · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Still Life with Geranium
Henri Matisse · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Maude Adams (1872–1953) as Joan of Arc
Alphonse Mucha · 1909 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Mont Sainte-Victoire
Paul Cézanne · 1904 · Detroit Institute of Arts
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Birth
Marc Chagall · 1911 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Composition with Figures and a Horse
Paul Gauguin · 1902 · Nationalmuseum
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View
Egon Schiele · 1912 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art