What is luminism? How do Gifford’s landscape paintings differ from those of his processors? What makes them different? The Hudson River School was a group of New York-based landscape painters that emerged during the mid-1800s. On many occasions, the artists paid special attention to the places they traveled and used their field sketches to produce oil paintings. While many of these American painters created paintings from similar places, each of them had their own distinct styles and characteristics. Luminism, one of the unique styles, focuses specifically on the effects of light. Stanford Robinson Gifford (1823) was one of the artists among the group of Luminsists. Rather than focusing on a central feature or a piece of iconography like many of the other painters, Gifford uses illuminating light to accentuate the landscape's atmosphere. He creates hazy veils of moisture that unify the tone. Oftentimes, in his paintings, the viewer is placed right in front of the source of light and they become submerged in the silent authority of nature.
Note, in the following groupings of paintings, how Gifford uses the effects of light differently than those of his processors such as Asher Durand and Thomas Cole. Gifford’s use of light is seen to illuminate throughout his paintings, casting a unique effect over the whole. Light transverses across the scene creating an effect that almost places the viewer in a hypnotic trance. Thomas Cole and Asher Durand have different approaches to their landscape paintings. Their use of light is often subtle and helps emphasize a theme. Light is used to cast shadows and effect, but the dramatic contrast is significantly less and light does not stand out as a central feature.
Stanford Robinson Gifford, A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove),
1862, Oil on canvas, 48 x 39 7/8 in. (121.9 x 101.3 cm), 15.30.62
A Gorge in the Mountains, one of Gifford’s vertical landscape paintings, provides a spectacular view of Kauterskill clove, which is in the eastern Catskill Mountains of New York. Gifford began painting the piece in 1861 and finished it later the following year. Originally, the painting was titled, Kauterskill Falls, yet it was said to be formed on the actual Haines Falls in the Catskills rather than Kauterskills Falls, hence the name was changed. Imposed with a deeper spiritual meaning, golden light transverses across the painting highlighting the natural and physical features of Kauterskill clove. The viewer is positioned right in front of the source of light and becomes submerged in the nature of the scene.
Thomas Cole, View on the Catskill—Early Autumn,
1836–37, Oil on canvas, 39 x 63 in. (99.1 x 160cm), 95.13.3
View on the Catskill—Early Autumn, portrays Thomas Cole’s enthrallment with the valleys that rim the Hudson River in upstate New York. The painting resembles a view of Catskill Creek which is near the town he lived in. A river flows in the foreground of the painting while blurred mountains stand in the background. Trees surround the small river and the sun hidden behind the large tree casts a calm light over the image. By 1837, the Canajoharie and Catskill Railroad was constructed through the landscape destroying the nature at the heart of the scenery. Thus, the painting holds a deep symbolic meaning and is one of Cole’s most significant pieces. The warm colors create a calm Autumn glow that draws the viewer to recognize the beauty of the setting before it was redeveloped by human activity.
Stanford Robinson Gifford, Tivioli,
1870, Oil on canvas, 26 3/8 x 50 3/8 in. (67 x 128 cm), 12.205.1
Charged with a deep moral significance, this painting by Thomas Cole is known for having many different interpretations. During a time of emerging industrialization, there were many conflicts surrounding the idea of land and nature. Cole’s inspiration is drawn from his trip to Europe. He responded to the criticisms that Americans were inattentive to their beautiful scenery. This landscape painting presents the uniqueness of America and expresses the beauty within it. He contrasts the unruly wilderness with the growing cultivation of land in America. A calm light is cast on one side, while on the other dark clouds diminish the light. The land in the east is orderly, productive, and peaceful while the land in the west remains disorderly and evokes emotions of danger or fear.
Stanford Robinson Gifford, Isola Bella in Lago Maggiore,
Gifford visited Isola Bella twice (twelve years apart) and painted the site many times, revising it to his ideal vision. He found it to be the most perfect of all the Italian lakes. The painting portrays a view of a “perfect” sunset on Lake Maggiore. Dark mountains stand on the left side while a dimmer group of mountains fades deeper in the background. An illumination of light grazes across the sky creating a glow over the painting. The light is also reflected in the water. Gifford’s use of illuminating hues that glow across the painting helps draw the focus to the unique effects of light rather than the detailed representation of the terrain.
Asher Durand, a popular painter in landscapes, paints a simple summer afternoon with a misty glaze that highlights the subtle changes that take place in nature. Skillfully, Durand uses specific techniques to depict these simple changes. In the painting, the sun casts a reflection on the water while the trees stand tall on a land of green grass. The trees tenuously reflect off the water as the scene is very still and calm. The sun’s light does not suppress across the whole painting and resides mostly in the left half. The subtle use of light emphasizes the late afternoon feel and provides a peaceful presence.
As one of America's most accomplished landscape painters, Gifford provides atmospheric views that are luminous and glow outwardly. Hunter Mountain Twilight expresses a sense of national sorrow as well as the emerging concern for the conservation of nature. Painted just after the Civil War, Gifford draws from his experience in the army and addresses the growing distress with the development of land. The painting depicts a view of Hunter Mountain which resides in Hudson, New York. The tree stumps emphasize the development of land and how nature is degraded in the process. In 1860 America, tree stumps symbolized the destruction of the wilderness as well as the devastation caused by the Civil War. As light transverses across the horizon, the blue haze cast on the mountain creates a contrast against the glowing sky.
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