The Great Fall, Niagara

The Great Fall, Niagara is a powerful hand-colored chromolithograph on paperboard produced in 1874 through the collaboration of Charles Risdon, Frederic Edwin Church, and Day and Son Lithographers. This monumental print captures the dynamic scale and dramatic atmosphere of Niagara Falls, translating a world-famous American landscape into a reproducible format. The technique of chromolithography allowed for complex, multi-color registration, achieving a fidelity previously impossible in mass printing. The subsequent application of hand-coloring further enhances the work, lending the image a vibrant intensity that mimics the appearance of a detailed oil painting.

The creation of this lithograph reflects the immense international interest in North American scenery during the period 1851 to 1875. The image is derived from a celebrated painting of Niagara by Church, America's leading exponent of the Hudson River School aesthetic. The decision by the British firm Day and Son to reproduce Church’s iconic view highlights the global nature of the 19th-century art market and the widespread appeal of such natural wonders. This piece exemplifies the high standard of technical quality achieved by British printmakers during the Victorian era, facilitating the distribution of important compositions across the Atlantic and serving as an important cultural touchstone.

As a highly detailed print, the work provided a means of disseminating fine art to a wide consumer base, making grand landscape visions accessible to a burgeoning middle class seeking domestic art ownership. The commercial success of such prints ensured that masterworks, which were otherwise reserved for elite exhibition, effectively entered the public domain of visual culture. This impressive piece documenting one of the world's most famous waterfalls is classified as a print and resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.