Douglass Houghton

This portrait of Douglass Houghton, Michigan’s first state geologist, shows the man in his element. The geologist stands on the shore of Lake Superior, in front of the Pictured Rocks (first described scientifically by Houghton himself). The man is dressed in typical attire for his work, including tall boots for wading through water or mud. A hat is tucked under Houghton’s right hand, and he leans on a rock hammer held in his left hand. Houghton’s dog is pictured below him; a loyal companion, the dog always accompanied him on expeditions.

Houghton is painted in a naturalistic, though slightly idealized, fashion. Artist Alvah Bradish employs tight, controlled brushstrokes, which are not visible to the viewer. The landscape in the background calls to mind work by the Hudson River School artists, who painted American landscapes with a focus on ideas like exploration, discovery, and the beauty of nature – all concepts likely valued by Houghton as well, as the geologist responsible for surveying much of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

One notable feature of this artwork is the apparition of a boat on the water behind Houghton. The canoe is often referred to as a “ghost ship” by visitors and tour guides, both for its transparent quality and its eerie allusion to Houghton’s death: at just 36 years old, the geologist drowned near Eagle Harbor while on an expedition. The boat in this portrait is believed to have been painted over by Bradish, but it now shows through as a pentimento (a visible portion of an earlier paint layer revealed over time).