The Most Famous Hudson River School Painting by Durand
Although, Asher Durand painted many paintings throughout his life he is known only for one painting. This painting was Kindred Spirits. He painted it after Thomas Cole’s death in 1849 as a memorial for Cole ("Asher Brown Durand" 1). The painting shows two men standing on the cliff: Thomas Cole and William Cullen Bryant ("Asher Brown Durand" 1).
This painting became so famous because it depicts Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School and it conveys all the beliefs that the Hudson River School artists believed. Kindred Spirits represents the Hudson River School and American nationalism. As a result, this painting is a representation of the America's national identity.
In the painting, Durand paints the two men on a cliff talking to each other. The landscape of the painting is located in some part of the Catskill Mountains. The crucial part of the painting is the position of the men. He positioned them so they were standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking the water. Durand painted the river on the bottom, implying that the men could fall to their death. This conveyed Durand’s beliefs as a Hudson River School painter because he thought that nature was a force of God. Humans were tiny in comparison and powerless. The size of Cole and Bryant indicate the insignificance that he felt that humans experience when they are in nature. They cannot hope to compare to the power and force found in nature. Nature is a part of God so they could fall to their death at any time. In addition, the enormity of the landscape surrounding the men imply the grandness of nature. The trees in the foreground of the painting are huge and taller than the men. There are also all the cliffs that the men are standing on and the cliffs located across the men. The enormity of nature symbolizes the connection with God. Since God is almighty the size of nature shows his incomprehensible power.
Furthermore, the lighting of the painting shows Durand’s belief that humans should reconnect with nature. Durand wanted his artwork to inspire people to go out into nature and experience God’s gift. On the bottom of the painting, there are broken logs and it is very dark. The broken logs represent the ignorance of mankind because they cannot appreciate the beauty of nature. They are ungrateful to God for making America rich with all these different landscapes. Americans did not take pride in their landscape. The darkness symbolizes their blindness towards their own country. However, further up in the painting, it lightens up. Cole, Bryant, and the landscape surrounding them are the brightest in the painting to show that mankind is starting to see again. The Hudson River School artists like Cole and romantic writers like Bryant were helping mankind realize the beauty of nature. They wanted their works to inspire people to go out in nature. This was Durand’s goal and the goal for many artists of the Hudson River School; they wanted to make people understand the awe they felt with nature ("Hudson River School Painters" 3).
Another aspect that embodied the ideals of the Hudson River School was the setting of the painting. The setting of the painting is not actually real. In the essay, “Hudson River School Painters, by an anonymous author, it claimed, “Durand used a technique characteristic of Hudson River School painters, which was selecting landscape structures from various locations and then juxtaposing them on canvas. For this painting, Durand placed Kaaterskill Falls and Fawn’s Leap together” (“Hudson River School...5). Although, Durand was strict about portraying nature exactly, there were some cases where he did not make an exact replica of nature. This painting is one of those instances where he used creative license and put famous landmarks together. Durand and other Hudson River School painters used creative license to change the composition of their paintings. By changing the composition of the landscape, Durand was able to emphasize on the beauty of nature. Durand chose the Kaaterskill Falls and Fawn’s Leap because they are both located in the Catskills Mountains. Most of Cole’s paintings depicted landscapes from the Catskills Mountains. He also chose these two enormous landmarks to show the insignificance of Cole and Bryant in the painting. Nature was a larger force than human beings.
Durand managed to summarize all his feelings and the beliefs of the Hudson River School about art in this one painting dedicated to Cole. His ability to convey his deep message makes this painting famous.
Furthermore, Kindred Spirits was one of the many paintings that Durand made which resulted in the creation of the national identity for America. Since Durand was the revolutionary leader of the Hudson River School his art became an example for other artists. Durand encouraged nationalism through his art which became his legacy. He portrayed the impressiveness of the landscape in his paintings. This resulted in artists all over America to paint the landscape. Thus, the American national identity was created because Americans were showing their pride for the land in their paintings. Durand was the first artist to associate nationalism in art; he was able to transform art as a way to communicate his love for his country. In this painting, Durand shows his American pride by displaying two of the major features in the Catskill Mountains: Kaaterskill Falls and Fawn's Leap. He painted a simple landscape scene where two men are talking. However, this painting embodied nationalism because it depicts the grandness of nature by making the men seem insignificant. For this reason, Kindred Spirits created America's national identity since it praises American landscape. The creation of the national identity was critical for America during the 1820s because America did not have a national identity before ("Hudson River School Painters" 5). Therefore, the Europeans and Americans did not see how America was independent from Great Britain (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, and Faragher 294). Americans were still imitating the British in the art world (Stern 1). Thus, America was not completely an independent country. So the creation of the national identity made America completely independent from Britain. Americans now had an identity to be associated with and be proud of. Furthermore, artists were now making American art in the form of landscape paintings. America was now its own country with its own identity. In addition, the painting preserves the national identity in America because people associate this painting from the Hudson River School painting as a source of nationalism. There are many pieces of literature that have been written about this painting which captures patriotism for America; such as the essay, "Hudson River School Painters". For this reason, Kindred Spirits symbolizes America and it is part of the national identity. This painting was Durand's legacy. By preserving the national identity in Kindred Spirits, Durand played an important role in America. His paintings still brings unity for America. People look at this painting for a sense of belonging. When Americans see Kindred Spirits they see the pride that Americans have in their land. But, they also feel a sense of belonging because the painting is depicting the land they love and are part of. Kindred Spirits shows Americans even in present times that America is a united nation because of the pride and diversity found in the American people.
Please click on the links below to read more information about the essay, "Hudson River School Painters", which was mentioned above:
http://www.askart.com/AskART/interest/hudson_river_school_painters_1.aspx?id=9 (essay: "Hudson River School Painters")
This painting became so famous because it depicts Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School and it conveys all the beliefs that the Hudson River School artists believed. Kindred Spirits represents the Hudson River School and American nationalism. As a result, this painting is a representation of the America's national identity.
In the painting, Durand paints the two men on a cliff talking to each other. The landscape of the painting is located in some part of the Catskill Mountains. The crucial part of the painting is the position of the men. He positioned them so they were standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking the water. Durand painted the river on the bottom, implying that the men could fall to their death. This conveyed Durand’s beliefs as a Hudson River School painter because he thought that nature was a force of God. Humans were tiny in comparison and powerless. The size of Cole and Bryant indicate the insignificance that he felt that humans experience when they are in nature. They cannot hope to compare to the power and force found in nature. Nature is a part of God so they could fall to their death at any time. In addition, the enormity of the landscape surrounding the men imply the grandness of nature. The trees in the foreground of the painting are huge and taller than the men. There are also all the cliffs that the men are standing on and the cliffs located across the men. The enormity of nature symbolizes the connection with God. Since God is almighty the size of nature shows his incomprehensible power.
Furthermore, the lighting of the painting shows Durand’s belief that humans should reconnect with nature. Durand wanted his artwork to inspire people to go out into nature and experience God’s gift. On the bottom of the painting, there are broken logs and it is very dark. The broken logs represent the ignorance of mankind because they cannot appreciate the beauty of nature. They are ungrateful to God for making America rich with all these different landscapes. Americans did not take pride in their landscape. The darkness symbolizes their blindness towards their own country. However, further up in the painting, it lightens up. Cole, Bryant, and the landscape surrounding them are the brightest in the painting to show that mankind is starting to see again. The Hudson River School artists like Cole and romantic writers like Bryant were helping mankind realize the beauty of nature. They wanted their works to inspire people to go out in nature. This was Durand’s goal and the goal for many artists of the Hudson River School; they wanted to make people understand the awe they felt with nature ("Hudson River School Painters" 3).
Another aspect that embodied the ideals of the Hudson River School was the setting of the painting. The setting of the painting is not actually real. In the essay, “Hudson River School Painters, by an anonymous author, it claimed, “Durand used a technique characteristic of Hudson River School painters, which was selecting landscape structures from various locations and then juxtaposing them on canvas. For this painting, Durand placed Kaaterskill Falls and Fawn’s Leap together” (“Hudson River School...5). Although, Durand was strict about portraying nature exactly, there were some cases where he did not make an exact replica of nature. This painting is one of those instances where he used creative license and put famous landmarks together. Durand and other Hudson River School painters used creative license to change the composition of their paintings. By changing the composition of the landscape, Durand was able to emphasize on the beauty of nature. Durand chose the Kaaterskill Falls and Fawn’s Leap because they are both located in the Catskills Mountains. Most of Cole’s paintings depicted landscapes from the Catskills Mountains. He also chose these two enormous landmarks to show the insignificance of Cole and Bryant in the painting. Nature was a larger force than human beings.
Durand managed to summarize all his feelings and the beliefs of the Hudson River School about art in this one painting dedicated to Cole. His ability to convey his deep message makes this painting famous.
Furthermore, Kindred Spirits was one of the many paintings that Durand made which resulted in the creation of the national identity for America. Since Durand was the revolutionary leader of the Hudson River School his art became an example for other artists. Durand encouraged nationalism through his art which became his legacy. He portrayed the impressiveness of the landscape in his paintings. This resulted in artists all over America to paint the landscape. Thus, the American national identity was created because Americans were showing their pride for the land in their paintings. Durand was the first artist to associate nationalism in art; he was able to transform art as a way to communicate his love for his country. In this painting, Durand shows his American pride by displaying two of the major features in the Catskill Mountains: Kaaterskill Falls and Fawn's Leap. He painted a simple landscape scene where two men are talking. However, this painting embodied nationalism because it depicts the grandness of nature by making the men seem insignificant. For this reason, Kindred Spirits created America's national identity since it praises American landscape. The creation of the national identity was critical for America during the 1820s because America did not have a national identity before ("Hudson River School Painters" 5). Therefore, the Europeans and Americans did not see how America was independent from Great Britain (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, and Faragher 294). Americans were still imitating the British in the art world (Stern 1). Thus, America was not completely an independent country. So the creation of the national identity made America completely independent from Britain. Americans now had an identity to be associated with and be proud of. Furthermore, artists were now making American art in the form of landscape paintings. America was now its own country with its own identity. In addition, the painting preserves the national identity in America because people associate this painting from the Hudson River School painting as a source of nationalism. There are many pieces of literature that have been written about this painting which captures patriotism for America; such as the essay, "Hudson River School Painters". For this reason, Kindred Spirits symbolizes America and it is part of the national identity. This painting was Durand's legacy. By preserving the national identity in Kindred Spirits, Durand played an important role in America. His paintings still brings unity for America. People look at this painting for a sense of belonging. When Americans see Kindred Spirits they see the pride that Americans have in their land. But, they also feel a sense of belonging because the painting is depicting the land they love and are part of. Kindred Spirits shows Americans even in present times that America is a united nation because of the pride and diversity found in the American people.
Please click on the links below to read more information about the essay, "Hudson River School Painters", which was mentioned above:
http://www.askart.com/AskART/interest/hudson_river_school_painters_1.aspx?id=9 (essay: "Hudson River School Painters")
Please click on the button on the right to read more about Durand's legacy:
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