Landscape Art and the Hudson River School

 America in the beginning of the nineteenth century was attempting to learn how to become a new country. Artists were trying to figure out what they wanted American art to look like. The Hudson River school was a group of artists in the nineteenth century that were known for their beautiful and idyllic landscapes. Many Hudson River School artists were trying to showcase the beauty of the American landscape in a time where America was just emerging as a new country and trying to find its footing. Thomas Cole is said to be one of the first artists of the Hudson River School and he started somewhere in the 1820s. While the Hudson River School was typically artists who painted the beauty of the Hudson River Valley that eventually changed to capturing more of the American landscape. Artists like Albert Bierstadt painted exquisite landscapes of the west that captured the deep beauty of America. Sanford Robinson Gifford and John Frederick Kensett painted different areas of the state of New York. Some of these artists, like Jasper Francis Cropsey are from the second generation of Hudson River School Artists. This exhibition hopes to showcase different pieces from different artists of the Hudson River School throughout the nineteenth century. America had newly come into its independence and these artists were trying to pave the way for new American art. While this exhibit will mainly show art from the northeast, it will showcase a piece from Albert Bierstadt of the American west. This exhibition displays the beauty of the American landscape that these artists are trying to portray and hopes to draw viewers in and get a sense for what the artists are trying to portray through their landscape paintings.

A Gorge in the Mountains Sanford Robinson Gifford c. 1862, Oil on canvas, 15.30.62 

Sanford Robinson Gifford’s A Gorge in the Mountains was painted in the middle of the nineteenth century and it depicts a beautiful landscape covered in the warm glow of the sun. Gifford was a part of The Hudson River School. His painting evokes the feeling of the warmth of the sunshine and wants to give viewers a sense of the beauty of nature. The Hudson River School artists were known for their romanticization of nature and that can be seen in Gifford’s warm glow cast over the hills that eyes would not naturally see. 

View on the Catskill - Early Autumn Thomas Cole c. 1836-1837, Oil on canvas, 95.13.3

Thomas Cole is credited with starting the Hudson River School. His landscape of Catskill River Valley portrays a picnic overlooking the river. This painting emphasizes the harmony of humans and nature with people enjoying the beautiful day. The horses in the background with a farmer continue to display Cole’s balance of humans with nature. Industrialization was beginning at this time, including the building of the railroad, and Cole is trying to bring the widening gap of humans and nature closer together. 

The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak Albert Bierstadt, c. 1863, Oil on canvas, 07.123

While Albert Bierstadt was not a traditional Hudson River School artist because he painted depictions of the west, he is still credited as being a part of it. His depiction of the Rocky Mountains shows similar style to both Gifford and Cole in trying to capture the romanticism of nature. Bierstadt is also showing harmony between the Native Americans and nature. Horses are calmly grazing and the stunning mountains in the backdrop tower over the field and waterfall. The theme of warm landscapes that show the beauty of nature continues in Bierstadt’s painting. 

Hudson River Scene, John Frederick Kensett c. 1857, Oil on Canvas, 07.162

Kensett’s painting continues on the theme of warmer colors in nature and harmony between humans and nature. The sailboats are floating in calm water enjoying the sun on the water. The greens of the forest draw the viewers eyes in where they will find two people in the forest. The Hudson River was important for the growth of industry and travel. Kensett showcases the growing industry but in a picturesque way. On the hillside, trees have been cut down for houses and the river is busy with boats. However, the harmony between nature and humans is still present. 

Delaware Water Gap, George Inness c. 1861, Oil on canvas, 32.151

Inness’s painting showcases a beautiful rainbow over a river. The river has cows around it and barges crossing it. A storm has just passed through and light is peaking through the clouds with the stunning rainbow. People are beginning to come out after the storm to enjoy the calm and get work done. Inness is, once again, showing the harmony between nature and humans. Nature has not been destroyed by humans but people are working with the river and with cows to sustain themselves.

Pompton Plains, New Jersey Jasper Francis Cropsey c.1867, Oil on canvas, 25.110.22

Cropsey took inspiration from Gifford’s painting and it is noticeable in the way Cropsey plays with light in his painting. In the center of this painting is a church steeple that points up towards the light in the sky, which is casting a glow across the plains. Everything has come to light from the sun and this painting is trying to evoke warmth, similar to Gifford’s A Gorge in the Mountains. The painting is drawing the beauty of the plains out with its use of light and space.

References

Avery, Kevin J. “Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823–1880).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/giff/hd_giff.htm

Angela L. Miller, The Empire of the Eye : Landscape Representation and American Cultural Politics, 1825-1875, (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1993).

Howat, John K. “The Hudson River School.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 30, no. 6 (1972): 272–83. https://doi.org/10.2307/3258969. 

Kevin J. Avery and Franklin Kelly. Hudson River School Visions: The Landscapes of Sanford R. Gifford. Metropolitan Museum of Art, (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003).

Friendship and the Romantic Landscape: Johan Christian Dahl and Caspar David Friedrich

 Johan Christian Dahl and Caspar David Friedrich were friends who painted in Dresden together where they lived as neighbors. Both worked in the time of Germanic romanticism with an emphasis on nature, spirituality, and the sublime. The “sublime” was the idea that the natural world could elicit a response that could transcend the usual state of being (such as awe).  Romanticism also emphasized creative collaboration and experience in relation to the natural world. Friedrich and Dahl inspired one another towards the Romantic ideals through their friendship. After Friedrich gifted Dahl Two Men Contemplating the Moon, Dahl composed a similar painting with a Norwegian landscape as an homage. It is suspected that the individuals in Dahl’s painting are Friedrich and Dahl. Both utilized nature and landscapes as a way to promote the sublime and the northern romantic ideals of the late 18th and early 19th century. Each artist had a robust understanding of the beauty of nature as they painted many landscapes of northern Europe across their remarkable careers. The primary modality of both artists for these landscapes was oil on canvas. Viewers may notice the remarkable smallness of the individuals compared to the vast landscape. As friends and artists, Friedrich and Dahl utilized landscape painting to emphasize the romantic ideals of beauty, the natural world, and the sublime.

Caspar David Friedrich, Landscape in the Riesenbirge, c. 1810, Oil on canvas, 25.2 x 18.9 in (68cm x 48 cm). Pushkin Museum, Moscow.

Friedrich is now widely considered to be one of the greatest landscape painters. He worked in Dresden where he met Dahl and developed their friendship. This painting displays the Great Mountains near Poland. The small building in the distance is considered to be a church. It implements the Christian symbolism of the church that was common for some of his earlier works. This was one of Friedrich’s earliest paintings and displays rich color with a vast landscape focusing on the looming mountains in the background. The common theme of natural immensity puts human existence into perspective as it relates to the vast landscape.

Caspar David Friedrich, Two Men Contemplating the Moon, c. 1819, oil on canvas, 13 ¾ x 17 1/2 in. (35 x 44.5 cm). Gemäldegalerie Neue Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden

The first version of this oil painting by Friedrich was given to his friend and neighbor Dahl. The two figures in the second edition are considered to be Friedrich and his apprentice Heinrich. There is an element of closeness as one figure leans on the other. The common use of a pair of individuals in these paintings emphasizes creativity and fellowship as they observe the natural world. The bright moon in the center serves as the focal point directed by the gazes of the men and the lines of the trees. This would be the painting that would elicit a response and slightly different variation from Dahl.

Johan Christian Dahl, Two Men before a Waterfall at Sunset, c. 1823, oil on canvas, 15 x 14 in. (38.1 x 35.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 2019.167.3

Dahl created this painting in response to Friedrich's gift to him. The individual on the right is widely considered to be Friedrich while the individual on the left appears in many of Dahl’s paintings. This painting displays the beauty of nature that was so heralded by romanticism as well as the Norwegian landscape that Dahl was so fond of. This painting honors the friendship and creativity between artists at this time. The sunset is the focal point of the painting with a stark contrast due to value and color.

Johan Christian Dahl, An Eruption of Vesuvius, c. 1824, Oil on canvas, 37 x 54 ¾ in. (94 x 139.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 2019.167.1

Dahl painted this after a visit to Vesuvius. He created a sketch shortly after its eruption in 1820. This was commissioned by the Danish Prince Christian Frederik. This would be a relationship that carried on with Dahl completing many more commissions. This painting displays the principle of the “sublime” in nature and through natural phenomena. Once again we see the importance of the landscape in Romantic ideals. The rich colors of the eruption contrast with the dark smoke and surrounding land of the volcano.

Caspar David Friedrich, Northern Landscape, Spring, c. 1825, Oil on canvas, 35.3 x 49.1 in. (13 ⅞ x 19 5/16 in). National Gallery of Art

Friedrich portrays a bleak and open landscape in this painting. The light tonality and the blue of the distant background of mountains create a sense of the vastness of this landscape. This was likely painted from Friedrich’s studio as he remembered certain scenes. Friedrich’s fascination with the landscape was tied to a type of pantheism that believed God was present in nature. This likely motivated Friedrich’s deep desire to be connected to and involved in the natural world. This specific painting emphasizes budding new life as grass pokes through the snow on the ground.

Johan Christian Dahl, View over Hallingdal, c. 1844, Oil on canvas, 9 1/2 x 14 3/8 in. (24.1 x 36.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 2012.447

This painting displays Dahl’s deep love for the Norwegian landscape as it portrays Hallingdal. The cloudy overcast is contrasted by the shimmering yet distant rays of light from the sun in the background. The viewer sees a single horseman overlooking the valley from a high precipice. The romantic connection to the natural world is once again apparent in this later work of Dahl. Dahl brings his unique affection for Norway to the Germanic romantic landscape movement.

Johan Christian Dahl and his Emotional Landscapes

Johan Christain Dahl was a Norwegian artist, who is known for his landscape paintings. Dahl painted his landscapes during the period known as the “Golden Age” of Norwegian art, and is considered the father of Norwegian landscape painting. Although Dahl is Norwegian, he spent most of his time studying and his career in Germany. His career focused mostly on landscape paintings, and usually were of nature. Dahl was intrigued by nature, and it evoked a lot of emotion in himself. As we can see in this curation, Dahl’s collection seems to feature a lot of darker colored paintings. These paintings involve darker landscapes, some of them painted with a scene that takes place at night. Along with this, Johan Christian Dahl strategically places figures in his nature landscape paintings, in order to help guide the viewer. This gives the painting a sense of scale, but it also mainly gives the viewer a way to relate to the painting. The addition of the figures points the viewer to take on those bodies, and to view the surrounding nature from their perspective. This leads us to our question–How does Johan Christian Dahl evoke emotion in the viewer? I would argue that Dahl evokes emotion in his viewers in the types of colors that he chooses, the contrast of those colors, and the implementation of the figures to invite the viewers into the paintings. Let’s look at the curation to find out how this practically shows up in each of the paintings!

Title: Two Men before a Waterfall at Sunset

Artist: Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, Bergen 1788–1857 Dresden)

Date: 1823

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 15 x 14 in. (38.1 x 35.6 cm)

Classification: Paintings

This painting features a wilderness scenery, that is overlooking a waterfall at the edge of a mountain. There are two figures close to the viewer on the left. These two figures are on rocks, appearing to be gazing at the sun that is setting. Although the majority of this painting is on the darker scale, the artist is wanting us to pay more attention to the brighter parts of the painting, as we are to be the men standing on the left that are looking out at the sunset and the waterfall in the distance.

Title: Mother and Child by the Sea

Artist: Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, Bergen 1788–1857 Dresden)

Date: 1830

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 6 1/4 x 8 1/8 in. (15.9 x 20.6 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2007.164.2

This painting is one that is especially dark, and features a beach scenery that is rocky and has a giant anchor in the sand. In the distance, you can see the dark sky, the moon, and a ship that appears to be sailing towards the figures that are on the land. This scene evokes emotion as we are placed in the minds and bodies of the mother and child that are waiting in anticipation for this ship to come closer. This hope is almost resembled in the moon and its light that is slowly peeking out of the cloud.

Title: An Eruption of Vesuvius

Artist: Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, Bergen 1788–1857 Dresden)

Date: 1824

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 37 x 54 3/4 in. (94 x 139.1 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2019.167.1

Dahl’s painting here is of an eruption of a volcano, and is like the first artwork we looked at in the sense that there are clear contrasting values in this painting. The foreground takes up the majority of the painting, and features dark colors with smoke and lava. This is contrasted with a light sky background, that you can see on the upper right corner. Again, we see the presence of multiple figures in this painting. These figures are near the volcano, and two appear to be watching and almost studying the volcano. As the pattern follows, Dahl is inviting us to be one of those characters that are watching and studying the explosion, evoking emotion of curiosity and discovery.

Title: Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight

Artist: Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, Bergen 1788–1857 Dresden)

Date: 1846

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 37 3/4 x 60 5/8 in. (95.9 x 154 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2019.167.2

Dahl again is showing his favoritism towards night landscapes. This painting is of a shipyard in Copenhagen. This painting also has the presence of figures, which are in the foreground. These figures appear to be workers in this shipyard, and gives the sense of the "hustle and bustle” of the setting. At the same time, the moonlight is beaming down, giving light to the landscape. This contrast illuminates the workers, and can give a sense of hope in the midst of the darkness.

Title: Moonlit View of the River Elbe at Dresden

Artist: Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, Bergen 1788–1857 Dresden)

Date: 1826

Medium: Oil on paper, laid down on wood

Dimensions: 7 5/8 × 8 1/4 in. (19.4 × 21 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2016.802.9

In this painting, Dahl has painted yet another landscape that features a night aspect. This painting is of a river located in Germany, specifically in Dresden. As we can see in the painting, there is a figure in the middle of the bottom of the painting. In this particular painting, Dahl adds what appears to be a dog-like figure that is accompanying the figure. We are invited to embody the figure in this painting, who is out on a walk late at night, and who is admiring the moon and the scenery that is lit up by the moon. Depending on the circumstances that you bring into viewing this artwork, your emotions can vary when you place yourself into this figure’s body.

Title: View over Hallingdal

Artist: Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, Bergen 1788–1857 Dresden)

Date: 1844

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 9 1/2 x 14 3/8 in. (24.1 x 36.5 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2012.447

Lastly, we look at a painting that Dahl has made of his country of origin–Norway. This landscape painting appears to be viewed from on top of a mountain. It has some similarities to the artwork we started this curation with, where there is a mountain-top view and a wilderness feature. But this one has a figure on the right side of the painting, and is hard to make out. It appears to be a person riding a horse. As we relate to this rider, we can find some peace and serenity in the atmosphere and the view while riding along.

Development from the Barbizon School to the Impressionist Movement

The Barbizon school, so called because its painters mainly resided in the village of Barbizon, led the way towards the Impressionist movement in France. Camile Corot, Theodore Rousseau, Jean-Francois Millet and others made artworks that combined landscape with historical events. It was called the paysage historique, a new genre that the academy recognized as a high level of art in the early 1900s. It elevated the status of landscape paintings, so that paintings created from the Barbizon school painters would be accepted by the Saloon. The artists would travel to the Forest of Fontainebleau and the pains of the Barbizon to create en plein air (in open air) sketches. Landscape paintings were becoming more popular as John Arrowsmith (an English man) brought over many landscapes done by John Constable. Many French galleries bought these in the 1830s, which majorly popularized landscape paintings in Europe. Corot later in the 1850s and 1860s, many decades after showing his work in the Saloon, became the most recognized landscape painter in France. 

One major shift in this period of France was the rise of Romanticism, which emphasized the sublime and emotional depictions in art. In Corot's later works, he would paint memories of places he visited. He called these Souvenir paintings (souvenir means "remembrance"). These paintings created an impression of his time spent there, creating a sense of the passing of time. This idea of an idea of a place, the emotions one feels at a certain location is highly valued in the art of the Impressionists. Boudin, a forerunner and teacher of well-known Impressionist artists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, started doing paintings en plein air. He would start and finish them in the same session outside, typically doing paintings of people vacationing at the beach. He focused more on elements like light, texture and atmosphere rather than the art styles of classical artists.

John Constable, Hampstead Heath, with Bathing Pond, Branch Hill, 1821–1822, Oil on canvas, 9 5/8×15 3/8 in. (24.4×39.1 cm), Yale Center for British Art, New Haven.

He greatly inspired the Romantic movement in terms of landscape paintings in Italy and France. In the 1820s, John Arrowhead brough over works by Constable that many galleries in Paris bough after 1830. This work looks similar to works of early Impressionists because of the visible brushstrokes, which are often found in Impressionist paintings. The small scale points to its en plein air creation, another big influence. This landscape is not idealized or perfect but an idea of what the artist actually saw.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Hagar in the Wilderness, 1835, Oil on canvas, 71×106 1/2 in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Corot's Hagar in the Wilderness depicts the Biblical narrative of Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness before the angel of God comes to save them. The landscape takes over most of the large painting, which becomes a cohesive scenery that creates a foreboding tone to the whole scene. The contrast between the harsh rocks and trees, and also the yellow of the dry desert gives the viewer a visceral experience of the wilderness. Through Corot's studies of the trees of Fontainebleau, he can create believable scenery. Even the complimentary colors he uses between the sky and land creates a visual narrative that the viewer can appreciate for its romantic feel. The desolation of Hagar but a new dawn and the hope of safety in the angel.

Théodore Rousseau, The Pond (also titled The Pond (La Mare)), 1855, Oil on wood, 13 1/2×20 3/8 in. (34.3×51.8 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Rousseau trained under Remond, who was a landscape painter in the historical tradition. He was heavily influenced by Constable's work, although his work was constantly rejected from the Saloon for years until he boycotted it. Baudelaire, a critique of historical landscape, highly praises Rousseau for implanting a Romanticist-like feel to the work. He captures the dark and moody feel of the pond and the clouds above, which completely engulf the figures shown in the middle.

Théodore Rousseau, The Pond (also titled The Pond (La Mare)), 1855, Oil on wood, 13 1/2×20 3/8 in. (34.3×51.8 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Corot painted this in memory of the park at Mortefontaine. His collection of Souvenir paintings were remembrances/memories of places rather than the actual place. They represented a poetic interpretation of the experience of being there. Many of his works include a lake, solitude and a sense of time passing. He wanted to create a lasting impression of a place that would transcend the passing of time, but convey a memory that one could latch onto. It is heavily influenced by Romanticism, creating a foreboding memory of a place that he has not visited in 30 years.

Jean-François Millet, Autumn Landscape with a Flock of Turkeys, 1872–73, Oil on canvas, 31 7/8×39 in. (81×99.1 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Millet, a member of the Barbizon school, painted this scene depicting real life of the commoner. Millet focuses on depictions of rural life and labor, which has a dense and heavy earthy quality to it. The scene is based off of a real landscape, with the figure posing a haunting reality of the seasons and the change in the soil. It has a variety of brush strokes and textures, emphasizing the effort of cultivating the land.

Eugène Boudin, On the Beach, Sunset, 1865, Oil on canvas, 12(⅛) x 17(⅛)in. (30.8 x 43.5cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Boudin, a forerunner of Impressionism, focused heavily on vacationers at the beaches of the Normandy coast. He was good with atmospheric effects, able to quickly represent the sky and light. The forms are not given much detail (no faces) but the details are in the feel of the scenes as a whole. The looser brush work emphasizes the quickness of the moment, a sunset is fleeting in reality. Monet was heavily influenced by Boudin's work, especially his use of light and atmosphere.

Claude Monet, La Grenouillère, 1869, Oil on canvas, 29 3/8×39 1/4 in. (74.6×99.7 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Claude Monet is probably the most famous Impressionist artist of France. His works are extremely well known and distinguished. He captures the reflections of light in the water, as well as the impressions of people and trees in the background. He paints en plein air, often depicting people enjoying the new French middle class life. His works are a visual sensation, representing fleeting moments with beautiful, fast brush strokes.

References

Amory, D. (2007). The Barbizon school: French painters of nature. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bfpn/hd_bfpn.htm

Greenberg, S. (2004). Reforming paysage historique: Corot and the generation of 1830. Art History, 27(3), 412–430.

Haas, K. (2002). Impressions of light: The French landscape from Corot to Monet. Art and Architecture, 5(1), 1–25.

Samu, M. (2004). Impressionism: Art and modernity. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm