We are here to take you on a journey through the peaceful woods, over the cold rivers and into the world of Naturalism and Landscapes. The following artists that you will witness have created beautiful and breathe taking masterpieces during the era of the 1900s. Not all of the artists have the same origin but they all share the same passion for nature and capturing its beauty and outstanding details as well as giving the viewers an insight of what they thought of or what they saw at the moment. These great artists all have European influences whether they lived there, were inspired by another artist, or visited Europe to get their own ideas of what they wanted to paint next. Those influences went from great ideas, to sketches, to works of art that we will now present to you.
Our gallery is composed of six different landscapes that are from the 19th century. Our first painting we would like to bring to your attention is called “Indian Pass”, which is an oil painting that was painted in 1847 by Thomas Cole. Thomas Cole’s paintings were known for their realistic and detailed portrayal of American landscapes and wilderness. (1) In this particular painting he creates a primeval American past; he was very concerned about the political and economic instability of his time. (2) Our second painting is called “Where the Clouds Love to Rest”, which is an oil painting that was painted in 1850 by Alfred Jacob Miller. Alfred Jacob Miller was one of the first artists to experience the American West firsthand, which is what he was trying to depict in this image. His work was influenced by the Romanticism movement, which emphasized dramatic and mysterious themes. (3) Our third painting is called “Hunter in Winter Wood”, which is an oil painting that was painted in 1860 by George Henry Durrie. He was an American artist whose winter scenes became very well known when they were reproduced as lithographic prints by Currier & Ives. In this particular winter scene, it is about a man hunting in the woods so he can make it through the winter. (4) Our fourth painting is called “Ellen’s Isle, Loch Katrine”, which is an oil painting that was painted in 1871, by Robert Duncanson. He was an African American artist that was known for his landscapes; at one point he was known as the “best landscape painter in the west”. (5) In this painting, he delicately portrayed the beautiful Highlands scenery with literary allusions. He achieved what many admirers of his art consider to be a pinnacle of aesthetic and technical accomplishment. (6) Our fifth painting is “White Mountains from Shelburne”, which is an oil painting that was painted between 1816- 1872, by John Frederick Kensett as well as hundreds of other artists. “White mountain” was a collection of artwork that depicted the White Mountains in New Hampshire, which Kensett choose the Shelburne area. (7) The White Mountains were very popular due to the Willey tragedy on the mountain. A couple and their five children had passed away in a mudslide incident. (7) Our last painting is by Albert Bierstadt known as “California Springs”. It was painted in 1875 and is an oil painting as well. He was known for painting beautiful landscapes, mainly of the American West. He was inspired to paint this landscape of area around the Sacramento River Valley. His art style is known for emphasizing atmospheric elements such as fog, clouds, and mist.
During our research of the images we learned a lot about the artists themselves and whom or what inspired them to become the wonderful artists they were. Many may believe that a painting is simply something pretty to view and/or admire the colors, lighting that they have added to the painting; however, that is not what our artists wanted to convey. They wanted to grab the viewer’s attention by offering the scene through their point of view and to have the viewer truly grasp the beauty of nature.
