Images(3)

Eastern Landscape

Artist John Frederick Kensett (American, 1816–1872)

Datec. 1850s

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions12 1/8 x 10 inches (30.8 x 25.4 cm)
Frame: 18 3/4 x 16 3/4 x 3 inches (47.6 x 42.5 x 7.6 cm)

ClassificationsPainting

Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by Mrs. Fred von Canon

Object number1987.7.1

Collections

ART OF THE UNITED STATES

Label TextAlthough the particular site shown in this painting has not been identified, John Frederick Kensett, along with other members of the Hudson River School, often painted in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and in the Adirondacks and Catskills of upstate New York. He made many sketches while in the landscape, later transforming the compositions into paintings in his studio. The small size of this work suggests that it might have been a study for a larger painting. Kensett created scenes of man co-existing harmoniously with nature, reflecting his philosophical sympathies with authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, who believed that nature was the embodiment of divinity. Kensett underscores the tranquility of the scene through smooth brushwork, soft lines, and luminous colors.