Ruins
James Hamilton American, born Ireland
Hamilton, best known as a marine painter, trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Nicknamed an “American J.M.W. Turner” for his accomplished seascapes, Hamilton admired the great British painter’s work during a year-long sojourn in England in 1854. Turner’s influence is also evident in Hamilton’s watercolors, with their bold use of gouache and interest in atmospheric effects, as in this fanciful roundel view of Egyptian ruins. Hamilton, who may not have visited Egypt, amplifies the romance of the ancient ruins by situating the central temple remains and palm trees between a brilliant red sunset, reflecting on placid waters, and low-lying cool blue clouds enveloping fragmented structures.
