The Lewis and Clark Expedition at Eagle Creek
Thomas Mickell Burnham • c. 1850
Burnham was among the earliest artists to depict the Lewis and Clark Expedition in oil. This painting captures the Corps navigating through the rugged terrain of the western wilderness, with the dramatic landscape of the Rocky Mountain foothills as a backdrop. Painted decades after the expedition, it reflects the growing national interest in westward expansion and the romanticized vision of the frontier.