An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Sand Dunes, Carson Desert, Nevada1867
Timothy H. O'Sullivan
Timothy H. O'Sullivan American, b. Ireland?, 1840-1882
An important photographer of the American Civil War, Timothy O'Sullivan worked first for Mathew Brady, then Alexander Gardner in their Washington, D.C., studios, producing some of the war's best known images. The son of Irish immigrants, whether O'Sullivan was born in New York or Ireland remains unresolved. His photographs appear in Gardner's classic volumes, Photographic Incidents of the War (1863) and Photographic Sketchbook of the War (1866).
After the war's end, O'Sullivan became a photographer for government land surveys, working from 1867-69 for Clarence King's expedition along the 40th parallel in Utah, Nevada, and California. In 1870 he was photographer for Thomas O. Selfridge's survey of the Isthmus of Darien to determine the path of the Panama Canal. That same year he was hired by Lieutenant George M. Wheeler to accompany his military surveys of the land west of the 100th meridian and expeditions to California, Nevada, and Arizona. O'Sullivan returned to work for King in 1872 before joining Wheeler again in 1873. Briefly a partner in the Washington photographic firm of Armstrong and Company, he left in 1880 to become chief photographer for the U.S. Treasury, replacing his friend and colleague Lewis Emory Walker.
Throughout his work, O'Sullivan employed a spare, restrained style that appeals to the modern eye. It is perhaps significant that he remained in the employ of the government on projects in which objectivity was paramount. By contrast, works by his peers often seem influenced by the romanticism implicit in the enterprises, mining, development, and the building of railroads, that they were hired to record. T.W.F.
This noontime scene conveys a desolate place discovered by a lonely explorer. The artist chose a vantage point and framing that blocked the horizon and showed a single wagon—the former Civil War ambulance that he converted into a portable darkroom—and only two sets of footprints. However, over the previous 25 years, more than 165,000 people had passed near here on their way to California.
O’Sullivan took this while on a government expedition analyzing the future path of the transcontinental railroad.
albumen print from wet collodion negative
Image: 19.7 x 27 cm (7 3/4 x 10 5/8 in.); Mounted: 45.7 x 59.4 cm (18 x 23 3/8 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in.)
John L. Severance Fund
Under the relentless sun of a mid-day sky, the scene unfurls—a quiet desolation as if the world had paused to reflect. An explorer, solitary and on a journey through time, stands amidst the echoes of the past. Before him stretches a barren stretch of land, a canvas of emptiness that tells a deeper story—a story of those who came before, each with their own dreams and aspirations.
The artist, with an eye for the profound, chose a unique vantage point, a framing technique that embraces the void, obscuring the horizon from view. In this captured moment, there's a solitary wagon at the heart of the landscape—a once-vibrant Civil War ambulance, now transformed into a portable darkroom. It stands there, silent yet rich with history, a refuge for the artist seeking to preserve the ephemeral beauty of the world through photography.
Two sets of footprints wander off into the distance, barely visible in the sun-baked ground. They belong to the solitary explorer and perhaps a fleeting visitor of the past, evoking the idea of companionship in a place that feels so achingly alone. Yet, as the mind drifts, a sense of connection emerges from the stillness: Over the course of a quarter-century, more than 165,000 souls have journeyed near this very spot, each one holding a story, a life. They passed by in search of fortune, adventure, or perhaps just an escape—a multitude crisscrossing this seemingly barren landscape, chasing dreams of California.
In this juxtaposition of solitude and a bustling past, the artwork invites reflection. It asks us to consider our own paths and the ones left behind. In moments of loneliness, there is an echo of those who tread the same soil before us, each seeking their own horizon while reminding us of the enduring human spirit that persists against the odds.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
The best place to view Cleveland Museum of Art‘s artwork is on Galleree. Hear the story behind this work, interact with the image, discuss with people, curate your own playlists, and discover so much more from great artists and institutions alike.