Munson will unveil its summer exhibition, “American Landscapes from the New-York Historical Society,” a stunning display of America’s natural beauty, on Friday, June 14, through Sept. 22, on the Munson Museum of Art’s second floor.
Admission to the exhibition is free for Munson Members and $15 for the general public. Usual Museum discounts will be available for students, NARM and NY State museum members, SNAP, active duty military, and refugees.
With over 53 works of art by 31 artists, “American Landscapes from the New-York Historical Society” will be one of the largest displays of America’s landscape painting ever shown in Utica. The show will feature works by Thomas Cole, Asher Brown Durand, Frederic Church, Robert Duncanson, and Albert Bierstadt along with many others. In the early- to mid-1800s, the majestic vistas of New York State’s Hudson River Valley and adjacent areas, such as the Catskill, Adirondack, and White Mountains, inspired this remarkably talented group of American artists, who came to be known as the Hudson River School.
Cole and Durand were among the first American artists to paint the landscapes of this region and become associated with those of the Hudson River School, who drew inspiration from the contemplation and study of nature. Their efforts made landscape painting popular as a subject for generations of American painters. Like their literary counterparts Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper, these artists extolled the virtues of the American wilderness and the idea of living in harmonious balance with nature.
Hudson River School artists also journeyed beyond New York State to other regions noted for scenic beauty, such as New Hampshire, coastal New England, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia as well as to Europe and South America. They created intricate, often idealized views that conveyed not only physical details but also mood and atmosphere.
Later reproduced in popular magazines and books, Hudson River School paintings, often depicting recognizable locations, influenced the way in which Americans considered the landscape as part of the country’s cultural heritage. Many of the places revered by the Hudson River School artists are now national parks, state wilderness preserves, and historic sites. “American Landscapes from the New-York Historical Society” celebrates the Hudson River School artists and their depiction of the poetic beauty of nature and the American landscape.
“American Landscapes from the New-York Historical Society” is complemented by three additional exhibitions on view at Munson: “Thomas Cole and American Landscape Painting;” “Views of New York: Wilderness and Waters;” and “Trenton Falls: Stilled Waters | Still Here.” All four exhibitions explore the American landscape from a national, regional, and local perspective.
A wide-range of Community Art classes are available this summer to allow adult artists to be inspired by American art, including Painting “En Plein Air” (Outside) and Studio Landscaping.
“American Landscapes from the New-York Historical Society” is sponsored by Gilroy Kernan & Gilroy; Andrew Britton and David Grey; Christian and Cheryl Heilmann; Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D.; Family of F. X. Matt II; Hon. Beverly Tobin (ret.), in memory of Edwin J. Tobin; Joseph A. Abraham; John Brown, Coldwell Banker Faith Properties; Ricky and Leiter Doolittle; MJ and Colleen Gaetano; Cheryl and Fred Haritatos; Lisa and John Mack; Jacque and Terry Tolles Fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties; Melany and Chris Welch; Laura and Todd Wetzel M.D.; and I Love NY.
For media inquiries or more information, please contact Katie Voce, communications manager, at 315-797-0000 ext. 2147 or via email at kvoce@munson.art.
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