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Clough’s love of painting American landscapes is evident in the grandiose beauty of "Ferry Crossing." While most of his paintings depicted the area around Auburn, New York, Clough also painted landscapes throughout New England, Pennsylvania and Ohio – capturing a time and place in American history. His landscape paintings are sensitive, emotional scenes with an emphasis on natural lighting and atmosphere.
It is not noted what location is depicted in this painting, but it might be the Delaware River. The River was used as transportation for goods to be sent from one place to another. Ferries at the time were hand operated with ropes, as seen in the painting, strung across the river and attached to large pulleys onshore. The ferry operator would wind a line around a wooden winch to pull the ferry through the water in the right direction.