Donner Lake

Today we present a historically important painting by early American artist William F. Jackson, best known for his grand, sweeping landscapes featuring the mountains of Northern California and the rolling hills near Sacramento. The subject of this work is Donner Lake, a beautiful, blue, sparkling freshwater pool of water on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe that was made famous by the Donner Party, a group of pioneers whose struggles during the difficult winter of 1846-47 have become legendary.

The high vantage point allows us to see the distinctly shaped deep blue pool of water in the distance, and the path leads our eye down a long, winding trail through the rocky terrain and towering mountain peaks that are found in the area. We are transported back in time to a scene that is wild, remote, quiet, and peaceful. This peek into the rugged backcountry reveals another world that is rustic, natural, and untouched by civilization.

Now you, too, can own a piece of California History and make it a part of your own family's story.