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In the mid-1800s, there were many artists coming out of the Hudson River School, ready to paint the world. They went out into the wild to capture the landscapes of America on their canvas and brought back beautiful renderings of God’s creation. The greatness of God’s glory was captured in stunning gold shine, powerful water features, and perfectly balanced contrast. These paintings were quite large, taking up your whole field of vision, creating an even greater sense of awe. Because of the “wow” factor that these paintings intentionally incited, they had quite an effect on the public.
As the public viewed these paintings, they had a growing desire to “move out west” and claim this glorious land. The paintings fueled Manifest Destiny, where they believed that it was their God-given right and responsibility to tame the creation laid out before them. These paintings reinforced and spurred on this belief in how great a light they placed the land.
Sadly, these paintings didn’t quite hold up to reality. Many new settlers faced more hardship than glory, especially those who were poor. The reality of the American wilderness was much harsher than these paintings made it out to be.
In this exhibition, we see how different painters used a similar style during the mid-1800s to show the beauty of America and encourage a desire to tame the wild west.
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The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak Albert Bierstadt, 1863 Oil on canvas From The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
This was the first major painting that made Beirstadt famous in the eyes of the American public. It stirred up many hearts with its beauty, with over a thousand people attending the opening show. The large size and attention to detail fueled people’s desire for the untamed west.
metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10154
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Heart of the Andes Frederic Edwin Church, 1859 Oil on canvas From The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Church’s giant painting was the main rival of Bierstadt’s painting The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak. This beautifully large portrayal of nature was inspired by his trips to South America. Church displays the beauty of the Americas through enormous mountains, stunning foliage, and a golden waterfall right in the middle. Part of the beauty of the painting is in a small nock of the beaten path, where we find an illuminated cross on the edge of the deep pool. This, along with the buildings that are shown in the background, give us an example for how we can not only survive the wilderness, but even thrive as good Christians in the midst of it.
This painting was a huge success, with thousands of people flocking to it each month in New York. It effectively created a longing for the unknown western wilderness in the early American mind.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10481
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Landscape—Scene from "Thanatopsis" Asher Brown Durand, 1850 Oil on canvas From The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Durand’s painting depicts a beautiful sun setting across a golden landscape, viewed from lush mountainous cliffs. A castle-like fortress, protruding from among the trees, shows a well-established community. A church in the right and a well-attended graveyard in the foreground show us the presence of the Church, even in this remote location. On his daily walk, a farmer is an ordinary sight in this almost-strange landscape.
Durand painted these seemingly random aspects of society into his remote landscape as his philosophical idea of what the poem “Thanatopsis”, by William Cullen Bryant, meant. The painting was exhibited in the National Academy of Design after its creation. By painting a beautiful landscape that could be both well-inhabited and uninhabited, Durand enabled people to fantasize about places where they could experience this feeling, and the west was rumored to fulfill that.
metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10793
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Waterfall on Mont-Morency Robert S. Duncanson, 1864 Oil on canvas From the Smithsonian American Art Museum |
Duncanson’s painting is at first glance dark and foreboding, and this is completely intentional. Between the overcast sky, bare cliffs, and dark trees, he creates a sense of danger. Yet when we look closely, there are many people dotted around the waterfall. This gives a sense of scale to our eyes, creating a longing to see its gradour with our own eyes, and to talk to those who have experienced its greatness. The swirling blue water looks clean yet deadly.
By creating this sense of dangerous beauty, and showing that it can be experienced safely, Duncanson creates a new type of desire for the west, the desire to face danger. This may have incited more people, especially men looking for adventure, to move out west.
americanart.si.edu/artwork/waterfall-mont-morency-7618
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Autumn - On the Hudson River Jasper Francis Cropsey, 1860 Oil on canvas From the National Gallery of Art |
Here Cropsey paints a stunning and detailed painting of a lazy autumn afternoon on the edge of a forest. The leaves are turning red all around, and down in the valley near the lake multiple signs of life can be seen. The beauty of creation surrounds the shining town and all its business. By creating a restful overview of society, Cropsey shows an easy “out” from a busy life. Showing the undisturbed rest of an early afternoon with plenty of time to watch the sunset, he stirs up a desire to watch the glories of God’s creation unbothered. This successfully creates a longing towards the untamed wilderness, and shows us that we don’t have to reach far to gain it. Cropsey successfully shows us the beauty of America and gives us a desire to wander through the wilderness.
nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46474.html
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View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow
Thomas Cole, 1836
Oil on canvas
From The Metropolitan Museum of Art
In this painting, Cole’s display of the American wild comes in direct contrast with the cultivated lands of current society. The entire left side of the painting is threatening to overwhelm the beautiful countryside below, and take the viewer with it. Yet hope for mankind is displayed in a painter, almost hidden amongst the foliage in the foreground, showing us that we can not only overcome creation, but thrive in the worst of it. Cole’s portrayal of the overwhelming dangers of nature can be a reason to fight, not run. The hazy left side also creates a wonder for the unknown, and a desire to overcome the wild. By setting up this dichotomy between the peace and war of the west, Cole encouraged his audience to find a way in the wild for the wild future of America.
metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10497
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