“There is one season when the American forest surpasses all the world in gorgeousness…that is the autumnal; …then every hill and dale is riant in the luxury of color…every hue is there, from the liveliest green to deepest purple from the most…golden yellow to the in tensest crimson.” (Thomas Cole, 1835)
Distant View of Niagara Falls (1830)Thomas Cole (1801-1848) is considered the founder of the Hudson River School. He began painting portraits and genre, but when the family moved to Philadelphia, he was inspired by the landscape paintings he saw at the Pennsylvanian Academy of Fine Art. After moving to New York City in the spring of 1825, he made a trip up the Hudson River to the Catskill Mountains. He first visited Niagara Falls in May 1829. He composed the painting Distant View of Niagara Falls (1830) (19”x24”) (Art Institute of Chicago) while he was there. It seems appropriate to say he was transfixed by the scene.
Cole’s panoramic view portrays the grandeur of the landscape, including the vivid colors of Autumn. Except for the sound of the Falls, the scene is peaceful. Cole has purposely omitted the factories, hotels, and scenic outlooks that began to surround the Falls in the 1820s. The only human presence are the two native Americans, one standing and the other sitting nearby. They are small in the vastness of the scene, perhaps meant to be a reference to their vanishing race. Cole’s depiction of the scene is a reminder of a virgin America.
Autumn (1856)“When the autumn fires light up the landscape you will see Nature’s palette set with her most precious and vivid colors…” (Frederick E. Church to fellow artist Jervis McEntee, 1874). Autumn (1856) (54”x76”) (Olana) was painted by Church, who began to study with Cole in the Catskills in 1846. Church’s painting Niagara (1857) was the catalyst for his artistic and financial success. His painting Autumn was exhibited in Hartford, New Haven, Boston, New York City, and Washington, DC. In this autumn setting, three cows wade and drink from the gently flowing river. The sun is setting. The trunks and brilliant leaves of the fall trees cast shadows upon the water. Church’s portrayal of the water is brilliant. Autumn was hung in Church’s parent’s home in Hartford until their death.
Autumn on the Hudson River (1860)Autumn on the Hudson River (1860) (60”x108”) (NGA) was painted by Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823-1900). Cropsey believed landscape painting was the highest form of art. He also believed that the landscape was evidence of the existence of God. Cropsey regarded the depiction of the pristine beauty of America as an act of patriotism. Autumn on the Hudson River embodies all his ideals. Like many of the Hudson River paintings, this painting is large in scale. The panoramic view stretches from the pool of water, broken branches on the ground, and tall trees, to vast green meadows and streams that meander to the distant river. The rays of sunlight in the sky and the Sun’s glow on the surface of the river complete this magnificent scene. Attention to detail was important to Cropsey. For example, he carefully rendered the trees so that elm, red oak, maple, American chestnut, hemlock, and pine trees can be identified.
When the painting was displayed at the Royal Academy International Exhibition in London (1862), the Europeans were skeptical about the brilliant colors Cropsey used to portray the autumn leaves. He mounted leaves next to the painting to prove he was not exaggerating.
October (1863)October (1863) (28”x24”) (NGA) was painted by William Trost Richards (1833-1905). Richards was associated with the Hudson River School and the American Pre-Raphaelite movement. His work was introduced in an exhibition organized in 1853 by the Hudson River artist Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902). In 1858, Richards viewed an exhibition of English Pre-Raphaelite paintings in Philadelphia. The English painters were meticulous and inspired him to stop making large panoramic landscapes and make highly detailed closeups. The viewer is in the midst of a heavily wooded forest depicted in October. Dappled sunlight penetrates the dense foliage and is reflected off the tree trunks and rocks. Patches of sunlight lead the viewer’s eye along a path through the forest.
Richards was elected to the National Academy of Design in New York in 1862. The following year he became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Truth in Art. The group sought spiritual truths through the study of nature. Inspired by the singular beauty of the American landscape, several 19th Century American painters believed their work could and should reach for a more than just a painted view of nature.
Thomas Cole’s works are an excellent example of the use of nature as the background. He painted several series including the four paintings titled The Voyage of Life (1840) that are in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
Autumn Afternoon, the WissihickonAutumn Afternoon, the Wissahickon (1864) (30”x45”) is an early work by Thomas Moran (1837-1926). The Wissahickon Creek flows into the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Moran visited England in 1862, and he was inspired by the oils and watercolors of famous English artist JMW Turner (1775-1851). He was particularly interested in the way Turner used light to bring out certain points in the composition. Moran highlights waves and rocks, drawing the viewer’s eye from side to side through the scene. The images of the cattle grazing in the stream contain just enough white to direct the viewer’s attention to the outcropping of white rock in the midst of the rich autumn foliage. The flow of the water leads to a white cow alone in the green field. Moving along the diagonal road in the middle ground, the covered wagon creates clouds of dust. Farther in the distance is a bridge across the river. The colors of the autumn foliage fade as the scene extends to the distant mountains. Above all is blue sky with white clouds. Following the practice of other Hudson River painters, Moran left out the signs of modern industrialization.
The artists of the Hudson River School wanted the world to see the natural beauty of America. Several traveled west, and they portrayed the rugged natural beauty they encountered across the continent. While they were in the East, they shared with the world their experience of Autumn’s brilliant foliage.
