“On the Heights” by American Impressionist Charles Courtney Curran is an optimistic image of young ladies under a canopy of spun-sugar clouds and sunshine. Often portraying women clad in white dresses under scenic skies, Curran (1861 – 1942) emulated the French style of fusing Realism with plein air painting. In Curran’s era, youthful figures were regarded as both the recipients and creators of an array of American legacies. Adolescent girls on the verge of womanhood represented the nation’s evolution from political and cultural infancy to a period of maturity. This work typifies that positive outlook for the future of the United States.

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