Frederic Edwin Church

(1826 - 1900)
 

Frederic Edwin Church was an American landscape painter born in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a central figure in the Hudson River School of American landscape painters, best known for painting large landscapes, often depicting mountains, waterfalls, and sunsets. Church's paintings put an emphasis on realistic detail, dramatic light, and panoramic views. He debuted some of his major works in single-painting exhibitions to a paying and often enthralled audience in New York City. In his prime, he was one of the most famous painters in the United States. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Edwin_Church

 
The Icebergs
1861
Oil on canvas
163,8 x 285,7 cm
Dallas Museum of Art
https://collections.dma.org/artwork/4171219

In 1979, The Icebergs sold at Sotheby’s for a price that broke all existing auction records for American paintings. It was immediately donated to the Dallas Museum of Art by an anonymous benefactor, revealed in 2010 to be Lamar and Norma Hunt of Dallas.