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The Art of Mort Künstler / The American Spirit / A New Nation
Here you will find a pictorial chronicle of the drama and excitement of American History. These paintings give the viewer an insight into the tumultuous life of this young nation that mere words cannot achieve.
Dewitt Clinton Opens the Erie Canal October 26, 1825 |
Historical Information
After more than eight years of construction, New York Governor DeWitt Clinton opened the Erie Canal – connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, via the Hudson River. Clinton boarded the Seneca Chief in Buffalo and arrived in New York City nine days later and emptied a barrel of Lake Erie water into the Atlantic Ocean. This engineering feat drastically reduced transportation time and cost, rapidly boosting the economy of New York State.
Mort Künstler's Comments
There are virtually no contemporary pictorial accounts of this event upon which I could base my painting. We do know, however, that the boat was the Seneca Chief and that Governor Clinton's keg, now in the collection of the New-York Historical Society, contained water from Lake Erie. These clues, plus portraits of Clinton, were the basis for my recreation of this scene.
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