| HOME
INTRODUCTION
VIEW
THE EXHIBITION
CHECKLIST
CEDAR
GROVE
OLANA
WESTMORELAND
MUSEUM OF
AMERICAN ART
SAMUEL
DORSKY
MUSEUM OF ART |
Introduction
The
Hudson River School, considered by many to be the first truly
American school of painting, flourished between 1825 and 1875.
The movement was embraced by three generations of artists who
shared common principles uniting them as a school despite their
individual differences in style. Primary among these was a belief
in natural religion, a deep admiration for the magnificence of
nature, and a keen interest in the direct observation of nature.
Most importantly, however, was awareness of the fresh, untamed
American scenery as reflective of the optimism and independence
of our character as a young nation.
This
exhibition from a remarkable private collection groups paintings
by Hudson River School artists in pairs and series either intended
as such by the artists or around recurrent themes of great significance
to the movement. The underlying purpose of these groupings is to
enable the contemporary viewer to understand more readily the artist’s
objectives by actively engaging in these comparisons and contrasts.
The
exhibition was organized and toured by the Westmoreland Museum of
American Art, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Judith O'Toole, curator.
Generous
support for this exhibition provided by Friends of the Samuel Dorsky
Museum of Art, The Dorsky Foundation, James H. and Mary Ottaway,
Morgan Anderson Consulting, Hudson United Bank, and KeyBank
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT NEW
PALTZ
|