Mississippi at Dubuque, Iowa

This scene of the Mississippi, depicted from the vantage point of being on the river, is at once a marvelous recreation of a moment and a study in contrasts. We watch as a passing storm moves out to the left, showering rain from gray swollen clouds. Sun returns on the right side, illuminating white sails, the glint of an oar, the crisp shirt of a rower, and the painted steamboats receiving passengers at the shore. The detailed, carefully observed water is like a mirror of calm below the turbulent sky.