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When Oscar Wilde declared, "It ...

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From: The Washington Post
Date: 20021117
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When Oscar Wilde declared, "It is amongst the earliest, though surely not the keenest, disappointments of American marriage," his hosts were unamused. In 19th-century America, scoffing at Niagara Falls was tantamount to dissing America itself.

Frederic Edwin Church's "Niagara," at the Corcoran Gallery, depicts the mighty cataract -- that wonder of our blessed land, that honeymooner's grail -- with the proper sense of awe. The rainbow signifies God's presence; we gaze upon the waters from an angel's point of view. Europe has its cathedrals, but nothing quite like this.

It's a cineramic picture: ...

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