Forest in the Morning Light
c. 1855
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 61.5 x 46.2 cm (24 3/16 x 18 3/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Frederick Sturges, Jr.
Accession Number
1978.6.2
Art Historical Context
Asher B. Durand's *Forest in the Morning Light* (c. 1855) exemplifies the Hudson River School, America's first major artistic movement, which celebrated the sublime beauty of the nation's wilderness. Durand, a leading figure and co-founder of the National Academy of Design, drew inspiration from the dense forests of the northeastern United States, portraying nature not just as scenery but as a divine, moral force. Painted during the mid-19th century amid rapid industrialization, this oil on canvas reflects a Romantic ideal: preserving the purity of untouched landscapes against encroaching civi...
About the Artist
Asher Brown Durand · 1796–1886
Was a principal member of the Hudson River School. American artist; associated with the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Comment on works: Portraits