Note I: Painted during the summer of 1873 while Jasper F. Cropsey was staying in Warwick, New York,  this work was commissioned by the English railroad magnate James McHenry to commemorate his out maneuvering Jay Gould to achieve control of the Erie Railway. The painting was shipped to London, England in September of 1873 and remained in the England for over 150 years. It was returned to the United States in December 2024 to become part of the collection of the J. Jeffrey and  Ann Marie Fox Foundation for American Art.

Note II: The work depicts a vividly colored autumnal scene along the Erie Railway between Sloatsburg and Southfields, with the Ramapo River winding through a narrow valley and cascading in the foreground. Critics at the time praised the painting for its subtle atmospheric effect, rich gradation of color, and faithful transcription of natural detail. The New York Evening Post highlighted Cropsey’s success in capturing “the most brilliant of the ever-varying hues of autumn,” noting that “the gradation of color, from the strong and brilliantly varied tints in the foreground to the more subdued tones in the distance, is given with a freedom of manner and a knowledge of the relations of light and shade which is entitled to more than ordinary consideration.” The New York Herald similarly emphasized the thoughtful execution of the work, stating that “time and thought have been worthily bestowed” upon the canvas. 

Note III: James Mc Henry was born in Ireland in 1817 and immigrated with his family to Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania that same year. He grew up in Philadelphia and became a lawyer and successful merchant prior to moving to England. He became a very wealthy financier and raised financings to fund the growth of rail roads in the United States, including the Erie Railway. He was a patron of the arts and in addition to Autumn in the Ramapo Valley, Erie Railway, 1873, he owned other Jasper Cropsey paintings including: Richmond Hill in Summer, 1862, Wawayanda Valley, ca. 1862, and Albert Bierstadt’s master piece,  The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak, 1863 which McHenry purchased in 1865 for a record $25,000.