Tree Fern, Jamaica

Frederic Edwin Church, American, 1826–1900 · July 1865

Landscape and botanical sketch of a palm tree in the lush mountains of Jamaica. Dominating the composition at center, the tree has a relatively thick, scaly trunk and a roughly spherical canopy of fronds that emanate in all directions. The lower fronds are dead and wilted while the trunk appears covered in a fibrous hair or fuzz. Several plants grow around the base of the tree in the foreground, including red and white flowers. In the background, a rolling and densely wooded hillside descends to the right. Above at upper right, dense, rosy, and cream colored clouds break apart, revealing a deep, rich blue sky.