Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Mount Orizaba

Name Class Date

Helen Hyde, Mount Orizaba (1912). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Helen Hyde originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/helen-hyde/
Artist’s dates
1868 – 1919
Painted
1912
Original size
25 x 23 cm
Movement
Japonisme

In context

Mount Orizaba — Helen Hyde

How big is it?

The original measures 25 × 23 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

  1. 1860
  2. 1870
  3. 1880
  4. 1890
  5. 1900
  6. 1910

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 51 at death.

Painted when the artist was 44. The artist lived to 51. 65 of the 124 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Helen Hyde (1868–1919) ▲ this work, 1912 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1904 Main working years: 1904–1914 Late works: from 1914

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/helen-hyde-mount-orizaba-AQRFEN-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Rosy Brown #c9b3a0

    Catalogued palette

    • #C9B3A0
    • #4A3223
    • #7D5E44
    • #A2876F

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Rosy Brown
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Balanced How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Bright How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Helen Hyde over the last twelve months — 6 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 69.0%
    2. 2 United States of America 12.1%
    3. 3 Mexico 6.9%
    4. 4 Hong Kong 5.2%
    5. 5 Singapore 5.2%
    6. 6 Belgium 1.7%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Helen Hyde

    1. 1 Her Bit, 1918 9.8%
    2. 2 In Mexico, 1913 4.9%
    3. 3 A Roundelay, 1906 4.9%
    4. 4 A Day in June, 1910 4.9%
    5. 5 The Pink Fountain at Jalapa, 1912 3.3%
    6. 6 Sunday Morning, 1912 3.3%
    7. 7 The White Peacock, 1914 3.3%
    8. 8 Baby Talk, 1908 3.3%
    9. 9 A Snowy Day, 1901 3.3%
    10. 10 The Sacred Calf in the Bazaar at Agra, 1910 1.6%
    11. 11 The Lucky Branch, 1915 1.6%
    12. 12 The Greeting, 1910 1.6%
    13. 13 A Mexican Coquette, 1912 1.6%
    14. 14 Mount Orizaba, 1912 this painting 1.6%
    15. 15 Fireflies, 1906 1.6%
    16. 16 An April Evening, 1910 1.6%
    17. 17 The Unwilling Dancers, 1912 1.6%
    18. 18 Little Miss Muffet, 1918 1.6%
    19. 19 Fort Point, 1898 1.6%
    20. 20 The Hired Baby, 1909 1.6%

    Together these works take 58.6% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 124 works by this artist, of which 45 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 14 of them, with 1.6% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Helen Hyde

    Born in Lima, United States of America

    Early Life and Education

    Born: Lima, New York (April 6, 1868)

    Died: Pasadena, California (May 13, 1919)

    Helen Hyde's artistic journey began early. She received initial instruction from Ferdinand Richardt at the age of twelve.

    Her family moved to San Francisco, where she continued her education at the California School of Design.

    Further studies took her to Europe, including Berlin and Paris, where she studied with Franz Skarbina, Raphael Collin, and Félix Régamey.

    Régamey's extensive Japanese art collection significantly influenced Hyde’s artistic direction, introducing her to Japonism.

    Artistic Development and Influences

    Upon returning to California, Hyde experimented with color etching and began depicting scenes of San Francisco's Chinatown.

    A pivotal moment was her 1899 journey to Japan, where she immersed herself in Japanese culture and artistic techniques.

    She studied traditional ink painting with Kano Tomonobu and learned woodblock printing from Emil Carlsen.

    Key Influences: Japonism, Mary Cassatt's prints, and the traditional Japanese art forms she encountered during her time in Japan.

    Her style blended Western artistic training with Japanese aesthetics, creating a unique visual language.

    Major Works and Techniques

    Notable Works: "A Monarch of Japan" (1901), "Baby Talk" (1909), "Sausalito," "Footbridge," and "Her Bit."

    Techniques: Hyde was primarily known for her color etching and woodblock prints. She employed a divided labor system in Japan, utilizing Japanese carvers and printers.

    “A Monarch of Japan” earned first place at the Nihon Kaiga Kyokai exhibition in 1901.

    "Baby Talk" received a gold medal at the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition in 1909.

    Her prints often depicted Japanese women and children, reflecting her fascination with their daily lives and cultural traditions.

    Achievements and Recognition

    Exhibitions: Hyde’s work was exhibited widely both nationally and internationally.

    Awards: She received numerous awards for her prints, including medals at the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

    Collections: Her works are held in prestigious collections such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

    Membership: She was a member of several art societies, including the Chicago Society of Etchers and the Printmakers Society of California.

    Historical Significance

    Helen Hyde played a significant role in bridging Western and Japanese artistic traditions.

    Her innovative use of color etching and woodblock printing techniques contributed to the development of American printmaking.

    She is recognized as one of the foremost American artists working within the Japonism movement.

    Hyde's depictions of Japanese life offer valuable insights into a period of cultural exchange and artistic innovation.

    Her legacy continues to inspire contemporary artists and collectors alike, with her works remaining highly sought after.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Mount Orizaba

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/helen-hyde-mount-orizaba-AQRFEN-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Hyde, Helen. Mount Orizaba. 1912, https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/helen-hyde-mount-orizaba-AQRFEN-en/
    APA
    Hyde, Helen (1912). Mount Orizaba [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/helen-hyde-mount-orizaba-AQRFEN-en/
    Chicago
    Helen Hyde. Mount Orizaba. 1912. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/helen-hyde-mount-orizaba-AQRFEN-en/
    Harvard
    Hyde, Helen (1912) Mount Orizaba. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/helen-hyde-mount-orizaba-AQRFEN-en/

    Look closely

    Mount Orizaba — Helen Hyde

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: japanese landscape, mountain scene, tree silhouette. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Little Miss Muffet (1918), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Helen Hyde was about 44 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Questions & Answers

    Can I watch "Mount Orizaba" as a full-screen slideshow?

    "Mount Orizaba" by Helen Hyde can be viewed as a slideshow on the artwork's Diaporama page.

    What underlying hue runs through "Mount Orizaba" by Helen Hyde?

    The dominant hue of "Mount Orizaba" by Helen Hyde is golden yellow range. The hue is the underlying tone of the palette.

    How is the palette of "Mount Orizaba" by Helen Hyde described?

    The colors of "Mount Orizaba" form an earthy palette. This classification describes the dominant color families.