Religion in Art
Although, Asher Durand was part of a group of revolutionary artists, the Hudson River School, he managed to introduce new concepts to the group. During the 19th century and even before this time period, many artists were including religious references in their art to show that God was everywhere in life. However, Durand was the only artist to not include any religious references in his art. He let his art speak for itself ("A 'Grand Tour'...."). Even Thomas Cole included religious references in his paintings. The first four paintings above in the slideshow were painted by Thomas Cole. They are part of a set of paintings call the Voyage of Life ("About the Series: The Voyage of Life" 1).
In the first painting, Childhood, there is an angel sent from heaven to guide the child to a new life. She represents the notion that God will always help mankind when they are in trouble. Here, the angel is leading the man to a better life. The life that the child left was dark and oppressive. The cave that the boat just came out of symbolizes the child’s old life. The cave is narrow and dark to represent the child’s awful life. He had no joy or freedom before the angel rescued him. Although, the boat is heading towards a land that is bright with sunlight. The bright sunlight symbolizes that the angel is bringing the child to a hopeful and blissful life. The landscape is full of colorful flowers to imply that life in this land is full of joy. Flowers always represent joy and life. These thriving flowers indicate that the child will live a fruitful life in this new land. In the background of the land there are open skies. This is to show that the man will be free in this better life compared to the oppressiveness that he would have to suffer if the angel did not help him. Cole's purpose for making this painting was to imply the message that God helped every single human. He wanted to show that God and nature are connected. Cole was from Great Britain, although he was a Hudson River School painter, he was influenced by other English painters. His religious reference in this painting, along with the rest of the paintings in this series, is the result of this influence.
The second painting, Youth, shows the angel leaving the man when he is a young adult. The angel has led the man to a better life and so now he does not need the help of the angel anymore. The painting shows that God helps mankind when they are only in trouble. Then he leaves them be so that they can live their life happily. The trees nearest to the angel are darker than the rest of the landscape to represent the life that the man left. The angel helped guide him away from his old life. The man is now heading towards a life full of freedom and joy. The land down the river is bright with sunlight to imply the kind of life the man is heading towards. He is going towards a better life. In the sky, there is the faint outline of a castle. The castle is supposed to represent God. It is bigger than the mountain next to it to imply that God is so powerful he overshadows the biggest landscape on earth, the mountain. The castle is in the sky, shows that wherever the man goes, God will be there. God is always present in the sky like the moon. The castle is faint to indicate that God is not an actual person but a spiritual being who is never in one place. He is everywhere in the world. This allows him to help humans when they are in danger. This painting was supposed to convey the message that God is everywhere. The castle which represents God is like the moon because it follows the man around. God is always watching and protecting mankind. God is part of nature because the castle, which is God, is in the sky.
The third painting, Mankind, shows the man as an adult praying to God for help. The man is in a dire situation in life. The waterfall he is heading towards shows how his life has gone downhill since the angel has left him. The man is heading towards a waterfall because in the painting there is white water curving downwards. This indicates that there is a waterfall ahead of the boat because the quick current from the waterfall causes the water to churn fast and turn white. Furthermore, the man is in danger because in the background there are large, rough rocks that could kill him if he accidentally hit into one. The color palette is also very dark to show that the man needs help from God. The rocks in the background are a dark shade of black, green, and black. In addition, the water is a deep black and blue color which conveys a terrifying mood. The colors give the painting a sense of danger for the man. The man is praying for God to help him out of this dangerous situation.
The last painting, Old Age, shows that the angel has come back to the man to show him the path to heaven. The light coming from the sky is heaven and it is breaking the darkness surrounding the man. God is helping the man find peace again by bringing him to heaven. The man will not need to endure the troubles of life anymore. In the background, there are some rocks that are very faint. But, one can still tell that the rocks have razor-sharp edges because of the rough paint strokes that make up the rocks. The rocks represent the hardships that the old man has gone through. He is now ready to rest in peace. So now the angel is leading him to the afterlife, towards heaven. Cole wanted to convey the message that God always helps mankind. In this painting, God brought peace to the man by bringing him to heaven. The man never has to face hardships anymore. Although, God left the man for a little while he came back to the man when he was ready to pass away. In short, Cole wanted to convey the message that God is always there aid mankind and make their lives better.
These paintings show that religious references were very important in paintings. Artists believed that art was a way to convey that God was everywhere so they put religious references in their art. Many of the Hudson River School painters except Durand put religious references because they still clung on to the old principles of art ("A 'Grand Tour'...."). They had trouble completely breaking away from Europe's art notions. Furthermore, they added these religious references because they believed that nature was made by God. Therefore, if one appreciated nature then one could understand God and connect with him spiritually. For that reason, most of the Hudson River School artists alluded to God in their paintings to show that God was a part of nature. They wanted people to be more spiritually aware ("Hudson River School Painters" 4).
Although, some paintings like Church’s painting, Mount Desert Island, Maine, had a very subtle religious reference. In Church's painting, the sun is the focal point of the painting. The sun is the brightest object in the painting and its light is illuminating the dark clouds that surround it. The sun's light breaks the darkness that are caused by the clouds in the painting and brings illumination. The landscape below the sun depicts a somber picture. There are dark, jagged rocks everywhere and they are being constantly bashed by the waves of the sea. These rocks are slowly crumbling away under the waves' will. Church’s religious reference here is the sun. The sun represents God because he helps bring hope to the world. God helps people in trouble. So whenever people are in trouble, they pray to God for help. In the painting, the sun is casting its light to the dark landscape below, making the darkness disappear. The light symbolizes the hope that God gives to people. God gives people the hope to live and survive. God helps them when they cannot survive on their own. In this way, the sun is God because it gives people light to see the jagged rocks. The people are able to avoid the jagged rocks and not get hurt. Although, life may seem tough, God is always there for mankind in their time of need. This was the message that Church was conveying through his painting. His intention for this painting was to make people understand that nature was a gift from God. The sun was created by God to help mankind see the world. Church was an American painter, but he was taught by Cole. As a result, Church was influenced by Cole's teachings and made paintings which included religious references. Church attempted to have religious messages in his paintings like his teacher did in his paintings.
In the first painting, Childhood, there is an angel sent from heaven to guide the child to a new life. She represents the notion that God will always help mankind when they are in trouble. Here, the angel is leading the man to a better life. The life that the child left was dark and oppressive. The cave that the boat just came out of symbolizes the child’s old life. The cave is narrow and dark to represent the child’s awful life. He had no joy or freedom before the angel rescued him. Although, the boat is heading towards a land that is bright with sunlight. The bright sunlight symbolizes that the angel is bringing the child to a hopeful and blissful life. The landscape is full of colorful flowers to imply that life in this land is full of joy. Flowers always represent joy and life. These thriving flowers indicate that the child will live a fruitful life in this new land. In the background of the land there are open skies. This is to show that the man will be free in this better life compared to the oppressiveness that he would have to suffer if the angel did not help him. Cole's purpose for making this painting was to imply the message that God helped every single human. He wanted to show that God and nature are connected. Cole was from Great Britain, although he was a Hudson River School painter, he was influenced by other English painters. His religious reference in this painting, along with the rest of the paintings in this series, is the result of this influence.
The second painting, Youth, shows the angel leaving the man when he is a young adult. The angel has led the man to a better life and so now he does not need the help of the angel anymore. The painting shows that God helps mankind when they are only in trouble. Then he leaves them be so that they can live their life happily. The trees nearest to the angel are darker than the rest of the landscape to represent the life that the man left. The angel helped guide him away from his old life. The man is now heading towards a life full of freedom and joy. The land down the river is bright with sunlight to imply the kind of life the man is heading towards. He is going towards a better life. In the sky, there is the faint outline of a castle. The castle is supposed to represent God. It is bigger than the mountain next to it to imply that God is so powerful he overshadows the biggest landscape on earth, the mountain. The castle is in the sky, shows that wherever the man goes, God will be there. God is always present in the sky like the moon. The castle is faint to indicate that God is not an actual person but a spiritual being who is never in one place. He is everywhere in the world. This allows him to help humans when they are in danger. This painting was supposed to convey the message that God is everywhere. The castle which represents God is like the moon because it follows the man around. God is always watching and protecting mankind. God is part of nature because the castle, which is God, is in the sky.
The third painting, Mankind, shows the man as an adult praying to God for help. The man is in a dire situation in life. The waterfall he is heading towards shows how his life has gone downhill since the angel has left him. The man is heading towards a waterfall because in the painting there is white water curving downwards. This indicates that there is a waterfall ahead of the boat because the quick current from the waterfall causes the water to churn fast and turn white. Furthermore, the man is in danger because in the background there are large, rough rocks that could kill him if he accidentally hit into one. The color palette is also very dark to show that the man needs help from God. The rocks in the background are a dark shade of black, green, and black. In addition, the water is a deep black and blue color which conveys a terrifying mood. The colors give the painting a sense of danger for the man. The man is praying for God to help him out of this dangerous situation.
The last painting, Old Age, shows that the angel has come back to the man to show him the path to heaven. The light coming from the sky is heaven and it is breaking the darkness surrounding the man. God is helping the man find peace again by bringing him to heaven. The man will not need to endure the troubles of life anymore. In the background, there are some rocks that are very faint. But, one can still tell that the rocks have razor-sharp edges because of the rough paint strokes that make up the rocks. The rocks represent the hardships that the old man has gone through. He is now ready to rest in peace. So now the angel is leading him to the afterlife, towards heaven. Cole wanted to convey the message that God always helps mankind. In this painting, God brought peace to the man by bringing him to heaven. The man never has to face hardships anymore. Although, God left the man for a little while he came back to the man when he was ready to pass away. In short, Cole wanted to convey the message that God is always there aid mankind and make their lives better.
These paintings show that religious references were very important in paintings. Artists believed that art was a way to convey that God was everywhere so they put religious references in their art. Many of the Hudson River School painters except Durand put religious references because they still clung on to the old principles of art ("A 'Grand Tour'...."). They had trouble completely breaking away from Europe's art notions. Furthermore, they added these religious references because they believed that nature was made by God. Therefore, if one appreciated nature then one could understand God and connect with him spiritually. For that reason, most of the Hudson River School artists alluded to God in their paintings to show that God was a part of nature. They wanted people to be more spiritually aware ("Hudson River School Painters" 4).
Although, some paintings like Church’s painting, Mount Desert Island, Maine, had a very subtle religious reference. In Church's painting, the sun is the focal point of the painting. The sun is the brightest object in the painting and its light is illuminating the dark clouds that surround it. The sun's light breaks the darkness that are caused by the clouds in the painting and brings illumination. The landscape below the sun depicts a somber picture. There are dark, jagged rocks everywhere and they are being constantly bashed by the waves of the sea. These rocks are slowly crumbling away under the waves' will. Church’s religious reference here is the sun. The sun represents God because he helps bring hope to the world. God helps people in trouble. So whenever people are in trouble, they pray to God for help. In the painting, the sun is casting its light to the dark landscape below, making the darkness disappear. The light symbolizes the hope that God gives to people. God gives people the hope to live and survive. God helps them when they cannot survive on their own. In this way, the sun is God because it gives people light to see the jagged rocks. The people are able to avoid the jagged rocks and not get hurt. Although, life may seem tough, God is always there for mankind in their time of need. This was the message that Church was conveying through his painting. His intention for this painting was to make people understand that nature was a gift from God. The sun was created by God to help mankind see the world. Church was an American painter, but he was taught by Cole. As a result, Church was influenced by Cole's teachings and made paintings which included religious references. Church attempted to have religious messages in his paintings like his teacher did in his paintings.
The painting on the right hand side above was painted by Asher B. Durand in 1853. It is called Study from Nature, Stratton North, Vermont. The painting on the left is Woodland Landscape by Asher B. Durand. He painted this in 1854.
These paintings are an example of how Asher B. Durand did not add any religious references in his art. Durand believed that landscape paintings should be depictions of nature. There should be no religious references in them; no symbolism of God. In these two paintings, Durand painted the landscape as he saw it. He did not add any extra aspects
In the Study from Nature, Stratton North, Vermont, Durand paints a fallen tree. The painting is a detailed portrayal of a fallen tree. Durand shows the ragged ends of the tree from where it was broken off from the tree stump. He paints all of the twisted, thin branches on the tree trunk. In this painting, Durand painted what he saw in front of him. This painting differs from the paintings above (Cole’s paintings and Church’s painting) because Durand paints in a more realistic manner than Cole and Church. He wanted an exact replica of the scene in his painting. Durand’s painting was more detailed for this reason because he was trying to replicate nature down to the smallest detail. This differed from Church and Cole who wanted to paint nature but included things that were not found in nature. They did not care that parts of their paintings were not actually found in nature. This painting contrasted with Cole's and Church's painting because it shows a simple scene of a fallen tree. On the other hand, in Cole's paintings, he glorifies the landscape and makes it overly beautiful with all the radiant flowers in the grass. In addition, the color palettes in Cole's paintings are very light to make the landscape look like a fairy tale. Similarly, Church used a dramatic color palette for his sun. The sun is a bright yellow and a dull red. But, the surrounding landscape are full of dark colors. Durand avoided the use of color palettes that did not match the colors in nature to make his paintings more realistic. Durand was the first artist to paint a painting that had no religious references. He made paintings that were exact replicas of nature. In this way, he was a revolutionary leader because he paved the path that art does not have to be all about religion. Art did not need to have a moral message; art was only there to show the beauty of the subject the artist painted. Since Durand did not allude to religion in his art, it allowed people to view nature clearly. Durand's artwork captured the beauty of nature without any embellishments which in turn inspired other artists in the Hudson River School to paint landscapes. His art made other painters realized that art was a way to convey their awe for American landscape. He was a role model for artists. Consequently, many artists joined the Hudson River School and started to paint realistic landscapes. Since his paintings like the one above were focused only on American landscape, Durand was able to incorporate nationalism in his art. Through art, he showed that nature did not need any embellishments because it is already fascinating. Durand was proud of his country. Thus, he made art that had nationalism. Durand and the artists that followed in his footsteps formed America's national identity. They depicted their love and honor for the country through their paintings. This was the first actual identity America had ("Hudson River School Painters" 5). America was a recently independent and new nation so many Americans were still figuring out what kind of country America was. Durand and the other Hudson River School artists painted American landscape which made people realize that America's national identity is the landscape found in the country. America was unique because it had a different kind of landscape than in other countries in Europe. Its landscape is diverse. Durand's paintings showed his pride in his country. Consequently, this made people have pride in their country because American artwork was portraying the beauty and pride found in the country. The national identity that Durand created, helped form America. Since it was a new nation, America lacked the most important feature for a country, its national identity and patriotism from the people (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, and Faragher 294).
In the Woodland Landscape, Durand paints nature just as it is in real life. He paints a scene where cattle are crossing a river over a wooden log. The cattle just came out of a forest and are heading towards open fields to graze. The cattle are the smallest living creatures in the painting because it shows the grandness of nature. Durand wanted to show nature’s magnificence. Nature is grand and no living creature can ever hope to compare to nature, even in size. Durand showed the enormity of nature through his painting by painting large trees and he made the cattle minuscule. Durand was an insurgent leader because his paintings did not focus on religion at all unlike the religious paintings that Cole and Church made. Instead, he wanted to show the beauty and magnificence of nature. He wanted nature to speak on its own. His art pieces depicted nature through his perspective. Since Durand did not try to glorify nature, this implied that he took pride in America. He found no faults in his country so he painted it exactly as he saw it in real life. Thus, Durand was able to embody the spirit of nationalism through his art. In his paintings, the beauty of nature was greatly emphasize since there were no exaggeration of nature. Durand recognized the pride that was associated with American landscape. He became a model for other artists because his paintings made them realize the nationalism in nature and how they should be proud of it. Durand's paintings encouraged artists to paint landscapes. His paintings depicted nature in its simplest form but managed to show its exquisiteness. The nationalism in Durand's paintings and the other Hudson River School paintings formed the nation's identity. These paintings were praising America through its landscape. Their artwork were one of the first forms of nationalism in America. The paintings encouraged nationalism throughout the country. They conveyed the message that America was a unique country. For this reason, a national identity was formed because the art represented America as a whole. It showed the pride Americans found in their country. The national identity brought the country together. Americans were split because of sectionalism (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, Faragher 294). However, the paintings showed America as a whole nation which made Americans understand that America was a country and should not be split because of sectionalism. America became an united nation for the first time because of Durand's paintings.
Although, Durand did not put add any religious references he did believe that nature was the work of God. His work shows his belief that God made nature. The landscape painting, Woodland Landscape, shows nature dominating the world. The trees are taller than the cattle and make them seem insignificant. Durand was trying to imply that mankind was tiny compared to nature. Mankind was powerless against it. He wanted to convey his sense of awe for nature and God.
These paintings are an example of how Asher B. Durand did not add any religious references in his art. Durand believed that landscape paintings should be depictions of nature. There should be no religious references in them; no symbolism of God. In these two paintings, Durand painted the landscape as he saw it. He did not add any extra aspects
In the Study from Nature, Stratton North, Vermont, Durand paints a fallen tree. The painting is a detailed portrayal of a fallen tree. Durand shows the ragged ends of the tree from where it was broken off from the tree stump. He paints all of the twisted, thin branches on the tree trunk. In this painting, Durand painted what he saw in front of him. This painting differs from the paintings above (Cole’s paintings and Church’s painting) because Durand paints in a more realistic manner than Cole and Church. He wanted an exact replica of the scene in his painting. Durand’s painting was more detailed for this reason because he was trying to replicate nature down to the smallest detail. This differed from Church and Cole who wanted to paint nature but included things that were not found in nature. They did not care that parts of their paintings were not actually found in nature. This painting contrasted with Cole's and Church's painting because it shows a simple scene of a fallen tree. On the other hand, in Cole's paintings, he glorifies the landscape and makes it overly beautiful with all the radiant flowers in the grass. In addition, the color palettes in Cole's paintings are very light to make the landscape look like a fairy tale. Similarly, Church used a dramatic color palette for his sun. The sun is a bright yellow and a dull red. But, the surrounding landscape are full of dark colors. Durand avoided the use of color palettes that did not match the colors in nature to make his paintings more realistic. Durand was the first artist to paint a painting that had no religious references. He made paintings that were exact replicas of nature. In this way, he was a revolutionary leader because he paved the path that art does not have to be all about religion. Art did not need to have a moral message; art was only there to show the beauty of the subject the artist painted. Since Durand did not allude to religion in his art, it allowed people to view nature clearly. Durand's artwork captured the beauty of nature without any embellishments which in turn inspired other artists in the Hudson River School to paint landscapes. His art made other painters realized that art was a way to convey their awe for American landscape. He was a role model for artists. Consequently, many artists joined the Hudson River School and started to paint realistic landscapes. Since his paintings like the one above were focused only on American landscape, Durand was able to incorporate nationalism in his art. Through art, he showed that nature did not need any embellishments because it is already fascinating. Durand was proud of his country. Thus, he made art that had nationalism. Durand and the artists that followed in his footsteps formed America's national identity. They depicted their love and honor for the country through their paintings. This was the first actual identity America had ("Hudson River School Painters" 5). America was a recently independent and new nation so many Americans were still figuring out what kind of country America was. Durand and the other Hudson River School artists painted American landscape which made people realize that America's national identity is the landscape found in the country. America was unique because it had a different kind of landscape than in other countries in Europe. Its landscape is diverse. Durand's paintings showed his pride in his country. Consequently, this made people have pride in their country because American artwork was portraying the beauty and pride found in the country. The national identity that Durand created, helped form America. Since it was a new nation, America lacked the most important feature for a country, its national identity and patriotism from the people (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, and Faragher 294).
In the Woodland Landscape, Durand paints nature just as it is in real life. He paints a scene where cattle are crossing a river over a wooden log. The cattle just came out of a forest and are heading towards open fields to graze. The cattle are the smallest living creatures in the painting because it shows the grandness of nature. Durand wanted to show nature’s magnificence. Nature is grand and no living creature can ever hope to compare to nature, even in size. Durand showed the enormity of nature through his painting by painting large trees and he made the cattle minuscule. Durand was an insurgent leader because his paintings did not focus on religion at all unlike the religious paintings that Cole and Church made. Instead, he wanted to show the beauty and magnificence of nature. He wanted nature to speak on its own. His art pieces depicted nature through his perspective. Since Durand did not try to glorify nature, this implied that he took pride in America. He found no faults in his country so he painted it exactly as he saw it in real life. Thus, Durand was able to embody the spirit of nationalism through his art. In his paintings, the beauty of nature was greatly emphasize since there were no exaggeration of nature. Durand recognized the pride that was associated with American landscape. He became a model for other artists because his paintings made them realize the nationalism in nature and how they should be proud of it. Durand's paintings encouraged artists to paint landscapes. His paintings depicted nature in its simplest form but managed to show its exquisiteness. The nationalism in Durand's paintings and the other Hudson River School paintings formed the nation's identity. These paintings were praising America through its landscape. Their artwork were one of the first forms of nationalism in America. The paintings encouraged nationalism throughout the country. They conveyed the message that America was a unique country. For this reason, a national identity was formed because the art represented America as a whole. It showed the pride Americans found in their country. The national identity brought the country together. Americans were split because of sectionalism (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, Faragher 294). However, the paintings showed America as a whole nation which made Americans understand that America was a country and should not be split because of sectionalism. America became an united nation for the first time because of Durand's paintings.
Although, Durand did not put add any religious references he did believe that nature was the work of God. His work shows his belief that God made nature. The landscape painting, Woodland Landscape, shows nature dominating the world. The trees are taller than the cattle and make them seem insignificant. Durand was trying to imply that mankind was tiny compared to nature. Mankind was powerless against it. He wanted to convey his sense of awe for nature and God.
The painting to the left is called High Point: Shandaken Mountains. It was painted by Asher Durand in 1853.
This is a painting where Durand painted a normal scene found in everyday life. The paintings shows a scene where cattle are drinking water from a river. In the background of the painting, there is a mountain and there are some clouds moving around the mountain. In this painting, Durand paints humankind as small aspects of life. The cattle and humans are only small parts of the paintings. The main subject of the painting is the mountain. Unlike the paintings that Cole and Church did this painting is very detailed. There are small aspects all over the painting; the people, the cattle, the rocks, and even the trees. Durand used a lot of texture to make the individual leaves on the trees. He even made the grass rough and the mountains in the distance look craggy. Cole and Church did not care for details because they were focused on the religious messages they were implying through their paintings. In Church's painting above there is very little texture because he was focused on making the sun the brightest part in the painting. Cole was similar in this way. In the last painting, Old Age, he paid attention only to the angel and man. The background of the painting was unclear. There were only some rocks which were very faint. However, Durand focused on the details because he was trying to depict nature in his paintings. He attempted to show every single aspect of it. For that reason, the painting to the above is very detailed from the river with rocks to the land right below the mountain. Durand painted the landscape with the river twisting all the way towards the mountain. Durand did not care for religious aspects in paintings. He was revolutionary leader because he showed in his paintings that art was not about religion. Art was the artist’s way to show viewers the beauty that they experienced. He proved that paintings could still be a serious form of art even without religious embellishments. He believed that art should not twists a viewers’ perceptions to make nature seem better. In short, Durand was able to capture nationalism in his artwork because in paintings like the one to the left, he showed his fascination with nature. He captured small aspects of nature. Durand's determination to portray nature exactly the way it is in his paintings made his paintings patriotic because he was so loyal to his country that he would not change it. Durand loved his country so much that he could not find any fault with it. This made other artists want to paint landscapes because Durand introduced the idea that landscape art could be associated with America. These artists joined the Hudson River School movement and painted landscape paintings that depicted their admiration for nature. Besides capturing nature in their paintings, Durand along with these other Hudson River School artists captured America's national identity. After the War of 1812, Americans had some national pride in the country for winning the war against Britain. However, there was no national identity (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, and Faragher 294). But, then Durand started painting landscape paintings which incorporated nationalism. His paintings and paintings from other Hudson River School painters became associated with the nation's identity because they portrayed America in their paintings. These landscape portrayals such as the one above praised the ordinary aspects found in American life. For this reason, their art formed the national identity because they were praising America as a whole. The formation of America's identity was crucial to America. It gave Americans national pride because they now were part of a country with its own identity. In addition, a national identity made America a cohesive country, instead a country split with sectionalism. Americans now identify themselves as Americans; unlike before, where they identify themselves base on the region they came from. The War of 1812 and the creation of the national identity made them realize that they were all part of one country and they had to work together (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, Faragher 294).
This is a painting where Durand painted a normal scene found in everyday life. The paintings shows a scene where cattle are drinking water from a river. In the background of the painting, there is a mountain and there are some clouds moving around the mountain. In this painting, Durand paints humankind as small aspects of life. The cattle and humans are only small parts of the paintings. The main subject of the painting is the mountain. Unlike the paintings that Cole and Church did this painting is very detailed. There are small aspects all over the painting; the people, the cattle, the rocks, and even the trees. Durand used a lot of texture to make the individual leaves on the trees. He even made the grass rough and the mountains in the distance look craggy. Cole and Church did not care for details because they were focused on the religious messages they were implying through their paintings. In Church's painting above there is very little texture because he was focused on making the sun the brightest part in the painting. Cole was similar in this way. In the last painting, Old Age, he paid attention only to the angel and man. The background of the painting was unclear. There were only some rocks which were very faint. However, Durand focused on the details because he was trying to depict nature in his paintings. He attempted to show every single aspect of it. For that reason, the painting to the above is very detailed from the river with rocks to the land right below the mountain. Durand painted the landscape with the river twisting all the way towards the mountain. Durand did not care for religious aspects in paintings. He was revolutionary leader because he showed in his paintings that art was not about religion. Art was the artist’s way to show viewers the beauty that they experienced. He proved that paintings could still be a serious form of art even without religious embellishments. He believed that art should not twists a viewers’ perceptions to make nature seem better. In short, Durand was able to capture nationalism in his artwork because in paintings like the one to the left, he showed his fascination with nature. He captured small aspects of nature. Durand's determination to portray nature exactly the way it is in his paintings made his paintings patriotic because he was so loyal to his country that he would not change it. Durand loved his country so much that he could not find any fault with it. This made other artists want to paint landscapes because Durand introduced the idea that landscape art could be associated with America. These artists joined the Hudson River School movement and painted landscape paintings that depicted their admiration for nature. Besides capturing nature in their paintings, Durand along with these other Hudson River School artists captured America's national identity. After the War of 1812, Americans had some national pride in the country for winning the war against Britain. However, there was no national identity (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, and Faragher 294). But, then Durand started painting landscape paintings which incorporated nationalism. His paintings and paintings from other Hudson River School painters became associated with the nation's identity because they portrayed America in their paintings. These landscape portrayals such as the one above praised the ordinary aspects found in American life. For this reason, their art formed the national identity because they were praising America as a whole. The formation of America's identity was crucial to America. It gave Americans national pride because they now were part of a country with its own identity. In addition, a national identity made America a cohesive country, instead a country split with sectionalism. Americans now identify themselves as Americans; unlike before, where they identify themselves base on the region they came from. The War of 1812 and the creation of the national identity made them realize that they were all part of one country and they had to work together (Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, Faragher 294).
Please click on the button to the right to go to the next tab about Durand's detailed paintings:
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