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New World Wonder: How a geological oddity became an enduring symbol of the nation in American Art Christopher C. Oliver
Fig. 1.
Thomas Jefferson at Natural Bridge by Caleb Boyle (active 1800–1822), c. 1801. Oil on canvas, 92 by 60 inches.
Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, Kirby Collection of Historical Paintings.
The Natural Bridge of Virginia is a 215-foottall geological formation located in the Shenandoah Valley that is the last remnant of the roof of an ancient cavern that collapsed millions of years ago. Its impressive height and unique features inspired generations of artists who visited the site, which for many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century artists was relatively remote. Yet, its craggy, foresttopped visage made a familiar and frequent appearance in painting, prints, photography, and the decorative arts of the era. As one of the earliest painters to depict the site, Joshua Shaw, remarked upon his visit to the Natural Bridge in 1820: “It is one of those scenes which it is impossible to contemplate without interest. Seen from a distance, and at first glance, it appears so regular as to resemble a work of art.”
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