The epic landscape painting "Cotopaxi" by Frederic Edwin Church (1862). The image depicts a vast, primordial landscape under a dramatic, fiery sunset. In the distance, the Cotopaxi volcano erupts, sending a huge plume of dark smoke into the sky, which is contrasted by the brilliant red and orange glow of the setting sun. The light reflects on a calm lake in the middle ground. The vantage point is a high cliff overlooking a canyon with a river and waterfalls. The painting evokes a sublime sense of awe, capturing both the beauty and the terrifying power of nature.