Floating Icebergs near St. Lewis Bay, Canada

Frederic Edwin Church's sketch studies document icebergs observed during his 1859 expedition to Labrador. These rapid compositional studies—arranged in rows across the paper—capture the varied forms of glacial ice from different angles and distances. Church's methodical approach combines topographic precision with artistic interpretation, exploring how light and shadow model these monumental natural structures. The sketches served as visual research for large-scale studio paintings, translating field observation into finished works that conveyed the sublime grandeur of the Arctic landscape to American audiences.