New York State’s Hudson River Valley is one of America’s most picturesque areas, with dramatic vistas of hills, mountains, crags, and water features. In the 19th century, its natural beauty inspired an artistic movement known as the Hudson River School. Practitioners painted landscapes, creating the first significant works in this genre in American art history.
The British-born Thomas Cole (1801–1848), considered the school’s “founder,” inspired contemporaneous artists as well as successive generations to take up their brush to capture America’s unique landscape. He encouraged the elevation of this genre through the incorporation of biblical, historical, and literary subjects and symbolism.
