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Saco River, North Conway
Benjamin Champney (1817–1907)
Signed and dated, lower right: “B. Champney 1874”
Oil on canvas (24 x 36 in)
Collection of the New Hampshire Historical Society
1968.061
Gerry’s friend and colleague Benjamin Champney frequently joined him on painting trips in the White Mountains. Although Champney was born in New Hampshire, Gerry was the first of the pair to embark on a sketching trip to the White Mountains, visiting around 1835, while Champney began sketching in the White Mountains three years later, in 1838. Champney bought a house in North Conway in 1853, making it a center of activity for White Mountain artists. In fact, the area became known as the “North Conway Colony,” and Champney’s studio was a destination for dozens of Boston- and New York-based artists in the second half of the 19th century. The Saco River was a favorite topic for Champney. It featured in nearly a dozen of his paintings.
