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Shenandoah Valley William Louis Sonntag produced the grandest views of the Virginia wilderness. In both the Blue Ridge mountains and the Alleghenies he applied the Hudson River School formula, by which the rugged, unspoiled features of a landscape were emphasized in order to convey nationalistic overtones. This type of canvas was what his patrons in eastern cities would buy because it fit their idea of what wilderness should look like and reminded them of a perfect American past and a promised American future. Attempts to pinpoint Sonntag's locations have been in vain because mostly his works are composites of mountain scenery, rather than actual views of a single spot. Image rights owned by the Virginia Historical Society. Do not use without permission. Rights and reproductions Introduction | Image Gallery |
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