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).