Thomas Chambers

An impoverished upbringing and lack of family connections barred Chambers from establishing a career as a professional artist in his native England, prompting him to immigrate to America in 1832. Despite his lack of formal training, the appeal of his subject matter brought him moderate success as a marine and landscape painter. He utilized topographical engravings in planning his scenic landscape paintings, but he added distinctive and dynamic color to his designs. Although the house of the famous publisher Gen. George P. Morris is prominently featured in Undercliff, the painting was likely intended as a souvenir of the nascent Hudson River tourism trade.