A notable oil painting by Robert Havell Jr. depicting the Hudson River landscape is being auctioned at Sotheby's. The work, titled "View of the Hudson from Horton's Road Near Croton," has been held by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts since 1935 and is being sold to fund future acquisitions.

The painting captures recognizable Croton area features, including the Croton River emptying into the Hudson, Croton Point in the distance, and Van Cortlandt Manor visible among trees along the roadside. The marshland shown predates the area's later use as a county dump.

Through historical research using an 1851 map by surveyors Sydney & Neff, the authors identified J.C. Horton as a landowner along what is presumed to be the "Horton's Road" referenced in the title, located near Deer Island in New Castle. An arrow on the historical map indicates Havell's approximate vantage point.

The painting's undated creation likely occurred before 1849, when the Hudson River Railroad's first section opened between New York City and Peekskill. The work noticeably omits the railroad bridge crossing the Croton River's mouth—a structure that would have appeared on the 1851 map, suggesting the painting predates the bridge's completion.

The painting ultimately sold for $15,000 including the buyer's premium.