Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) was an American artist and member of the Hudson River School. He was one of the first of the Hudson River Artist’s to paint beyond New York and see the unexplored west. Bierstadt’s paintings focused more upon the sublime in nature. His painting titled “Indian Summer Hudson River” was completed in 1861. It is an oil on canvas painting, which measures twenty-four inches in height by forty-one inches wide.
One looks out across a secluded section of the Hudson River. It is late afternoon, and the sun is beginning its decent. The sun is almost blinding; its rays glistening and reflecting upon the river turning its blues to greens. The sky is clear with the exception of a few scattered clouds which begin to absorb the gold and reds of the setting sun, giving an almost hazy effect to the end of this Indian summer day. On the far side of the river, a child helps his father pull a small boat onto the bank, as a small group of cattle makes their way across from the bank opposite them. The cattle move slowly and intently across the water, drinking as they walk, enjoying the last moments of the day as they continue toward the father and son. Two additional cows lounge on the cool earth beneath the trees whose branches are scattered with the crimson and yellow-orange colors of early evening and that of fall.
In analyzing Bierstadt’s “Indian Summer Hudson River”, the painting would be defined as an example of representational artwork. Bierstadt’s painting incorporates overt themes such as nature, beauty, and everyday life, but also incorporates one which is less obvious, the sacred. In terms of form, Bierstadt brings together many formal elements to give his painting life. Bierstadt makes use of contour lines, w...
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Works Cited
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This group was formed by American landscape painters who were present from 1825 to 1880. Their work constituted of interest in realistic illustration of nature and a fascination to celebrate precisely the American scenery. Until its emergence, most artists seemed more interested in making portraits than painting murals. Those who did landscapes generally always turned to Europe for guidance on subject matter and skills. Subjects similar to the other side of the Atlantic appear on their canvases mostly compared to American scenes, such as Norman castles, Greek and Roman ruins. In addition, much of the paintings done prior to the emanation of the Hudson River Schoolwereemblematic and therefore not necessarily intended to emblematize a real place. The school combines elements of romanticism and the art of Nationalism. Its Romantic nature provides an alternative framework through which to view and appreciate the nature in the world.
Two men, similar in their transcendentalist beliefs and yet so different in their methods of expressing their beliefs on handling the issues of society, were major voices in the anti-slavery movement. While their focuses are more on the subjects of morality and individual choice, they still reflect on how slavery should be addressed by the American people, American referring to the free whites who actually make the decisions. Ralph Waldo Emerson is highly regarded for his views on Transcendentalism during what some of deemed the “American Renaissance.” Emerson establishes his place in history by expressing his liberal agenda through his beliefs that truth is based on intuition and law should be based on individual reflection. He believes that the only way one could truly learn about life is by ignoring knowledge from outside sources and relying on one’s internal voice; he incorporates this belief into the convincing rhetoric of “Last of the Anti-Slavery Lectures.” While Emerson asserts his views on self reliance, he is really trying to sway the views of his audience. This makes us ask the question: Is he really right, or is he only convincing us that he is right? Henry David Thoreau, however, serves as both a complement and a foil for Emerson; while he also expresses his transcendental beliefs, he converges on a split between these beliefs and reason. He articulates his ideas in “Slavery in Massachusetts,” a piece that illustrates how Thoreau separates himself from his own state because of his “contempt for her courts” (1991). While some would argue that Thoreau is somewhat of a better writer than Emerson, it cannot be denied that one cannot reach...
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Robert Henri urged his students in Philadelphia and New York to reject idealism and to focus instead on reality, whether it be banal or harsh. “Draw your material from the life around you, from all of it. There is beauty in everything if it looks beautiful to your eyes. You can find it anywhere, everywhere.”
In 1857, Bierstadt joined an expedition to the West, where he made a name for himself after painting an image of The Rocky Mountains (Pohl 162). His painting included the images of the mountains, trees, clouds, and tents where Native Americans had once stayed (Pohl 163). His large panoramic views of his landscape painting, “The Rockies” led to public interest and a strong desire to travel far to see national territory and for Westward expansion (Pohl 163). His works of the Rocky Mountains toured the US and Europe and eventually was purchased by James McHenry who was invested in the railroads which furthered Westward expansion settlement, and the development of commercial interest (Pohl 163).
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In “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau articulates the importance he places on resistance against a powerful, controlling government. He opens his essay with a reference to the...