The first truly American artistic fraternity, the Hudson River School (HRS) dominated the landscape painting scene of the United States throughout the 19th century. While many of the painters of the HRS drew inspiration from the unexplored regions of northeastern America, the group was tied together more by intent and subject matter than by geographical location. Throughout the seventy years of the School’s prevalence, virtually all the painters sought to display the untamed beauty of natural landscapes. Representations of this beauty fluctuated greatly however, and often pointed to deeper themes and messages.
For many of the HRS painters, nature served as a lens through which to catch a glimpse of the sublime. Artists like Cole and Bierstadt emphasized this through the untamed vastness and breath-taking mysteries of nature. For many, these depictions of the sublime were politically and religiously charged, pointing to the popular belief that it was America’s duty to populate such raw beauty. Others, however, pointed to the intricate details and intimacy of nature. For artists like Durand and Gifford, natural landscapes served as a way to create a tranquil and meditative composition. As the popularity of the HRS peaked in the mid-late 19th century, natural landscapes also became a familiar and comforting presence. For artists like Kensett, landscapes did not point so much to the sublime or meditative, but more to the familiar and simple.
View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow
Thomas Cole, 1836, oil on canvas, 51.5 x 76 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 08.228
Widely regarded as the founder of the HRS, Thomas Cole heavily emphasized the power and sublimity of nature. In this well-known depiction of the Connecticut River, Cole creates a powerful contrast in the left and right sides of his composition. By juxtaposing the untamed and the civilized, Cole emphasizes the untapped possibilities of the American landscape. Cole also paints himself in the middle distance, reinforcing a sense of American identity and prospects in the midst of the sublimity of nature.
The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak
Albert Bierstadt, 1863, oil on canvas, 73.5 x 120.75 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 07.123
One of the most critically acclaimed works of the period, Bierstadt creates an epic scene of natural American beauty. The viewer’s eye is drawn, zigzagging upward, towards the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains. At the time, paintings like this served as the primary means for American citizens to imagine the proclaimed beauty of the Western Territories. In this depiction of the sublime, Bierstadt backs the claims of Manifest Destiny, advertising the beauty of the West as something to be consumed by and inhabited by the American people.
Landscape – Scene from “Thanatopsis”
Asher Brown Durand, 1850, oil on canvas, 39.2 x 61 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11.156
Drawing inspiration from Bryant’s poem Thanatopsis - a reflection on the inevitability of death, Durand explicitly points to mystery and sublimity in nature. With the inclusion of detailed scenes of farmers, churches, ruins, and cross-cultural themes, Durand uses a sweeping landscape disappearing in a hazy horizon to remind his viewer of the mysterious power of nature. Rather than striking fear in the art of his viewer, Durand’s visual reflection on death serves as a peaceful and consoling interpretation of what is to come.
The Beeches
Asher Brown Durand, 1845, oil on canvas, 60.4 x 48.2 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 15.30.59
Although also created by Durand, The Beeches represents a noticeable shift in the HRS away from solely depicting the sublime in nature. Drawing inspiration from the English painter John Constable, Durand focuses instead on naturalistic detail and the creation of a tranquil disposition. This work also represents a shift to “plein-air” creations, a practice where the painter creates his work among the natural landscape that he is depicting. For Durand, paintings like The Beeches became his area of expertise; by mastering the natural elements and details of landscapes, Durand was able to create inviting, intimate, and tranquil compositions.
The Trout Pool
Worthington Whittredge, 1870, oil on canvas, 36 x 27.2 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 21.115.4
Drawing direct inspiration from many of Durand’s vertically oriented forest interiors (like The Beeches), Whittredge also focuses on the intricacies and intimacy of an enveloping landscape instead of any display of the sublime. Unlike Durand however, Whittredge alters the original lighting of the natural scenes in order to emphasize portions and create dramatic contrasts. In this work, Whittredge draws our eyes to the middle distance, allowing the viewer to enjoy nature’s expressive and playful qualities.
A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove)
Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1862, oil on canvas, 48 x 39.9 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 15.30.62
Gifford’s works belong to a subset of the HRS, often called Luminism. Unlike many of the other HRS paintings which highlighted certain natural or geographical objects, Luminist paintings primarily emphasize the effect of light in a landscape. The soft, hazy tones of Gifford’s brushstrokes create a peaceful aura for the viewer to enjoy. While there seems to be a sense of awe in works like this, the composition focuses not on the sublime, but on a meditative approach to nature. Beyond this, Gifford chose to paint his home region of the Catskills; nature here also represents the familiar and a sense of homeliness (perhaps emphasized by the small cabin in the background).
Lake George
John Frederick Kensett, 1869, oil on canvas, 44.2 x 66.4 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 15.30.61
Kensett creates some of the simplest compositions of the HRS, both formally and in interpretation. Also part of the luminist group, Kensett uses depictions of light to highlight landscapes and often repeated compositions of familiar locations to study these effects. Kensett was often described as a simple, friendly, grounded man - characteristics which were often reflected in natural landscapes like this. Works like Lake George sought to depict nature in its familiarity, instead of creating complex social and emotional commentaries.
References:
Avery, Kevin J, “Asher Brown Durand (1796–1886),” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, (October 2009).
Avery, Kevin J. The Hudson River School. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2004) http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hurs/hd_hurs.htm
Barbara Dayer Gallati, American Paradise: The World of the Hudson River School, ed. John P O'Neill
(New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987).
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