The Metropolitan Museum of Art AiU 19th CENTURY AMERICAN LANDSCAPE Queens County Art and Cultural Center November 10-December 10,1972 The Metropolitan Museum of Art January—February 1973 Memorial Art Gallery of The University of Rochester- March-April 1973 An exhibition from The Metropolitan Museum of Art made possible by grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment on the Arts. I>t is indeed a great selected the paintings, wrote the introduc­ honor for the Metropolitan Museum of tion and prepared the catalogue entries Art to initiate the Queens County Art with the help of Assistant Curators and Cultural Center with the exhibition, Natalie Spassky and Lewis Sharp, as well Nineteenth Century American as Janet Miller, Departmental Secretary. Landscape. Congratulations to Borough Special thanks go to Edward Bloodgood, President Donald R. Manes; Parks, Roland Brand and Sandy Canzoneri Recreation and Cultural Affairs for installing the exhibition. The Administrator August Heckscher; Com­ catalogue was designed by John Murello missioner of Cultural Affairs, Phyllis in cooperation with Stuart Silver, Robinson, the staff of the Cultural Administrator of the Museum's Design Center, and the many Queens residents Department. Bret Waller, Museum who have worked so long and hard to Educator in charge of Public Education, achieve this moment. I sincerely, hope assisted in the production of the catalogue that this will prove an auspicious and in providing the liaison with beginning, and that many fine exhibitions Rochester. Among the countless other and programs will follow. 'unsung heros' are those in the Registrar's Nineteenth Century Office responsible for all packing and American Landscape has been coordi­ shipping arrangements, and in the nated by the Department of Community Security Department providing the excel­ Programs and made possible by grants lent guardianship at the Queens County from the New York State Council on the Art and Cultural Center. Arts and National Endowment on the Last but not least, our development of exhibitions for commu­ thanks to Mr. Sanford Agnew for the nity museums in that the exhibit will be loan of his painting. shown at the Metropolitan and then at the University of Rochester Memorial Art Gallery after its inaugural month in Thomas Hoving Queens. Director Few people outside the museum profession realize that this kind of exhibition represents the combined efforts of a great number of departments and many individuals, some of whom should be thanked specifically. The entire Department of American Paintings and Sculpture has contributed to this ri exhibition: John K. Howat, Curator, and Mary Davis, Research Assistant, r-4 »merican land­ landscape painting in America was a occupy the major part of this exhibition, scape paintingJ\, which enjoyed its first matter of small artistic import since what is the Hudson River School. Due to its and most telling growth in the Nine­ few artists there were usually contrived remarkable vitality and longevity over a teenth Century, was a convincing to make a living by painting portraits, period of several decades, it is the most reflection of the primeval and fresh signs, coaches and other decorative items. singularly influential style of the century. aspect of our burgeoning country. The Certainly landscapes were produced by The label "Hudson River country was youthful and confident, its artists, but in limited numbers and most School" was created by an unfriendly attention fixed on the distant horizons often as watercolor or penciled topo­ critic from the New York Herald, who and on the frontier lands that promised graphical views which were translated apparently found the subject matter and both prosperity and spacious freedom. into prints. Out of such printed sources style of the Hudson River artists The citizens of this young came much of the impulse for the style, somewhat provincial. The label lost its America, with religious intent, saw the and content of academic and folk land- pejorative meaning in the artists' own hand of God in every aspect of their lives, scapists who worked during the first half day, but it has always been misleading, whether it be by guiding their efforts or of the nineteenth century. It should be since it implies that these artists painted in providing nature's plenty. The artists noted despite the existence of these nothing but the Hudson River. The who made their livelihood depicting the printed sources that American naive Hudson River did provide continuing nation's mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, painters did not develop a consistent inspiration for Thomas Cole, Thomas and weather did so with the conviction group style since their work was unaca- Doughty, Jasper F. Crospey, Sanford R. that they performed a patriotic, religious demic, individual, often anonymous, and Gifford, Asher B. Durand, John F. and artistic service for the nation. Thomas was grounded in a craft, not painter's, Kensett, David Johnson, George Inness, Cole, the "founder" of the Hudson River tradition. The stylistic personalities of Frederic Church, Albert Bierstadt and School, wrote enthusiastically that "the these artists varied, but they shared an many others. Yet all of these artists painter of American scenery has, indeed, untrained and often brilliant eye. The traveled widely throughout the North­ privileges superior to any other. All simplicity of the folk artist's vision eastern United States, the West, the nature here is new to art. No Tivolis, combined mental images with familiar South, and abroad searching for subject Turins, Mont Blancs, Plinlimmons, hack­ visual images to produce the formalized, matter. neyed and worn by the daily pencils of two-dimensional subjects such as seen in The Hudson River School hundreds; but primeval forests, virgin several landscapes in this exhibition, encompassed artists with varied careers, lakes and waterfalls, feasting his eye with The Plantation, View of the Schuylkill but they shared a taste for romantic new delights, and filling his portfolio County Almshouse Property, and View of naturalism and common desire to gener­ with their features of beauty and magnifi­ Poestenskill, New York. All three views ate a public interest in arts in this country. cence, hallowed to his soil, by their were intended as literal descriptions of Writers like William Cullen Bryant, freshness from the creation, for his own locally notable places, but they are Washington Irving, and James Fenimore favored pencil." Cole's and his followers' schematized and map-like, yet possessing Cooper were sympathetic and vitally landscapes were admired and purchased design and decorative qualities which are important to this effort. New York City by patrons and amateurs of the arts who quite sophisticated and appealing. was rapidly growing as a commercial and fully agreed with this conviction. The other native type of cultural capital, and its newly rich Previous to the develop­ landscape painting, one based on business class made it a logical center ment of the Hudson River School, academic training, and the one which will for patronage of the arts. 185808 The date for the beginning canvas, it was done with the conviction applied to canvases varying from postcard of the school is accepted as 1825, when that the basic quality of nature was to wall size. At the height of his popu­ three landscapes by Thomas Cole were thereby more accurately expressed. This larity Church specialized in panoramic discovered in the window of a New approach did not preclude a beautifully views of the Andean landscape to which York picture framer by several leading luxurious use of paint, as a glance at he had been led by appreciative reading in connoisseurs. Thomas Doughty also is Durand's River Scene, Cropsey's Wyo­ Alexander von Humboldt's writings on considered a father of the Hudson River ming Valley, Pennsylvania, or Johnson's South America. The novel subject matter, School, due to his early production of Near Squam Lake, New Hampshire size, and dramatic presentation of gently atmospheric views of the North­ will show. Church's works guaranteed their tempo­ eastern United States. The impetus these The followers, and con­ rary acclamation, but when the public two painters provided for an indigenous temporary colleagues of Durand are tired of the novelty, they rejected them American landscape style was colored by commonly called the "Second Genera­ despite the vision and gifted handling dis­ noticeable European influences. Cole pro­ tion" of the Hudson River School, and it played by Church. Bierstadt's successes duced historical and religious allegories is they who created the majority of the during the 1860's and 1870's, like in landscape form which derive from myriad 19th Century American land­ Church's were on a scale to match the Italian 18th and 19th Century models, scapes which survive to this day. These grandeur of their finished pictures: both and Doughty imitated the idealized, artists, most of whom were active in the were remarkable. Bierstadt explored and humid views of Claude Lorrain and New York City art world, thrived on their depicted the little known marvels of the Joseph Vernet. The bulk of Cole's and diet of regular travel here and abroad in Rocky Mountains and the far west, and Doughty's work, however, revolves search of the picturesque. Artistically, made occasional forays into the European around their deep romantic attachment they shared certain aims, in particular the countyside. In his giant views, Bierstadt to the American landscape, rather than to desire to depict the various moods, combined minute detail and panoramic any dedication to previous example. appearances and scintillation of light. breadth, bringing both to an almost Thomas Cole died in 1848 Sanford Gifford, John Kensett, Martin oppressive ultimate development. The and the mantle of leadership passed to Johnson Heade, Worthington Whittredge, pictures came to be seen as being too Asher B.