When Peace Like a River

Frederick O. Sylvester

Oil on canvas

Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields

A hushed, luminous scene unfolds as a broad river mirrors a pale, dusky sky, its surface so still it seems to hold its breath. Sylvester, a St. Louis painter devoted to capturing the moods of the Mississippi, builds this tranquil vista with soft, blended strokes of muted green, rose, and ochre, letting a low line of trees anchor the horizon between water and heaven. The title, drawn from the beloved hymn 'It Is Well with My Soul,' suggests the artist sought not just topography but a feeling of spiritual calm and quiet devotion. This gentle, contemplative landscape would bring a serene, meditative presence to any room, like a window onto an eternal, peaceful evening.