Fredric Edwin Church The Icebergs

In the 19th Century American Art section of the Dallas Museum of Art is a large oil painting on canvas that grasps the attention of the entire room. American painter, Fredric Edwin Church, created “The Icebergs” in 1861. The glowing painting is exceptionally large, measuring in at 85 x 133 x 5 inches framed. The painting itself is 64 ½ x 112 ½ inches. “The Icebergs” is a landscape painting, which depicts multiple icebergs floating in the ocean under a beautiful, slightly cloudy sky. One iceberg is far away in the background, one is in the middle ground, and one is in the foreground. There is also a tunnel within the ice, which radiates a blue glow. At the bottom of the painting is a part of a broken ship. The painting is very glossy as the light hits it and also creates a rough texture in some parts on the ice due to its layers of oil paint. …show more content…
The predominant colors used are white, blue, and pink. The white is mostly used for the icebergs and the clouds, while the blue adds a sense of darkness and danger. The use of value is the most important aspect of this painting. The artist uses a range of values to create intense dimension on the icebergs. Although the ice is white, the values bring the painting to life by making the icebergs three-dimensional and life-like. The values also create the textures within the ice, water, and clouds. The icebergs look rigid while the water and clouds look soft and flowing. The artist does an excellent job with balancing the contrasting darks and lights. The artist utilizes both horizontal lines and diagonal lines between the water and the icebergs in order to create movement of the viewer’s