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hudson
river school
of painting
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At the advent of the nineteenth century, American
painting consisted mainly of portraiture. In Europe, paintings of historical and biblical
events were prevalent along with figure painting and some portraiture. As America was in
her infancy, historical subjects were scarce, as was the affluence needed to develop
interest and support for the arts and other cultural developments. The few art patrons
that existed commissioned mostly individual and family portraits. For the most part,
landscape painting was relegated to cartographic and military uses. Some American artists
attempted figure painting and biblical renderings in the "great style" of the
Europeans, but these were not very popular.
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Thomas Cole |
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In 1825, two events occurred which would raise
patronage and interest in the arts to a new level in America. The first event was the
"discovery" of Thomas Cole (1801-1848), the second event was the opening of the
Erie Canal. In New York City, a frame-makers shop displayed three landscape paintings by
Cole. These paintings were "discovered" by the artist Colonel John Trumbull and
were purchased by Trumbull and two other artists, Asher B. Durand and William Dunlap. |
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News of the purchases spread quickly
through the New York art world and soon Thomas Cole was much in demand. Although early
landscape painters such as Thomas Doughty (1795-1856) enjoyed a modicum of popularity,
American landscape painting came of age with the success of Thomas Cole. The popularity of
Cole stimulated interest in the arts, and the opening of the Erie Canal elevated New York
to the commerce center of America, stimulating economic and cultural growth. The increased
trade in New York created a larger wealthy class ambitious to develop culturally, develop
national pride, and provide the resources necessary to promote the arts. By 1827 Cole was
the most popular artist in America and the American landscape movement, later coined the
"Hudson River School" was underway. The Hudson River Painters believed that
nature was a direct manifestation of God. As such, nature was to be depicted as accurately
and as detailed as possible, a feat made easier in that most of the artists were
experienced in creating finely detailed engravings. Also, man, if included in a painting
at all, is painted small in stature to emphasize his relationship to nature (God). Because
nature was considered perfect, the Hudson River Painters attempted to draw and paint
landscapes directly, not from memory or imagination, and without embellishments or
contrivances. The American landscape, wild and unspoiled, became a great source of
national pride.
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The Hudson River School was prevalent from the time
of Trumbull’s discovery of Cole (1825) until about 1875. During that half-century,
fifty or so of the finest painters that made up the Hudson River School produced some of
the greatest American paintings |
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