This is a scene of part of the Notch (a deep, narrow pass through the mountains) in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA, according to the inscription on a label on the back of the painting, probably in Colonel Vernon-Harcourt’s own hand. It was painted by Colonel Harcourt from a sketch by his wife, Lady Catherine Harcourt. Some years before there had been an avalanche in this spot, and all the inhabitants of the cottage depicted in the painting had died when they rushed out of the cottage, terrified by the noise.

In 1839 Lady Harcourt had written to Queen Victoria from Boston: ‘During the last fortnight we have been ... constantly travelling amongst the Green, White & Red Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire, & have seen some extremely pretty scenery ... One pass called the Franconia Notch, between Mount La Fayette, & Mount Jackson, is certainly very fine, the mountains seem to rise perpendicularly above one, the lower part of them is covered with uncleared forest, thro’ which the road winds, along the banks of a rapid mountain stream’.