The Hudson River School

The Hudson River School is so named (it is not hard to figure out why) because its first representative painters were drawn to depict the Hudson River region to the north of New York city. The school comprised several generations of artists who were active from about 1825 to 1870. The unifying theme of their work is the natural beauty and wonder of the American landscape. As time moved on painters classified as members of this school moved further and further westward and southward in their search for primitive grandeur. Albert Bierstadt did some of his best work depicting the Yosemite, while Frederic Church ventured as far as South America.

I have always been amazed by the ability of these painters to improve upon, through their inspiration and technique, landscapes so seemingly perfect to begin with. I have arranged here a collection of paintings from this school coupled with a series of inspiring quotations. Click away, my friend, and off you go.