Lyons View Depicted in Art

---

This work is one of four known paintings Scottish-born artist James Cameron created depicting the view from the knoll in what is now Lakeshore park.  Now displayed in the lobby of the Knoxville Museum of Art as part of its permanent collection, the painting reflects the very same vantage point visible from our property.

Praised by James C. Kelly of the Virginia Historical Society as ‘the greatest Tennessee practitioner of panoramic landscapes, Cameron often left his home in Chattanooga to find inspiration in Knoxville’s scenery. This vista appears to be from what is now Cherokee Country Club. Though his sweeping landscapes earned him acclaim, it was portrait painting that kept food on the table — thanks in no small part to the steady patronage of Colonel James A. Whiteside.

This smaller, more vivid painting captures the Island that lies just south of our property. Landscapes were Cameron’s true passion, and among his favorite subjects was Belle Isle, viewed from Lyons View here in West Knoxville. He returned to this very site once again to depict it on canvas.

In 1861, James Cameron made another visit to this overlook, painting the view of Belle Isle from Lyon’s View for the  fourth time. This version, on exhibit in the Tennessee State's Museum as part of its Permanent Exhibitions, stands out for its softer palette and more detailed reflection of the island in the water. His love for this area is emphasized in the fact that he studied this view so fervently. 

David Butler, former director of the Knoxville Museum of Art (2006-2023), reflects on shaping the collection behind Higher Ground, which traces East Tennessee’s artistic growth from the 1860s to the 1980s. Reimagined in 2023, the exhibition highlights the region’s rich visual culture, with Butler praising James Cameron’s view of Lyons Bend as “possibly the most beautiful in the country.”