Hudson River School

Thomas Cole, Sunrise in the Catskills, 1826

The Hudson River School was the chief Romantic Movement in the United States. The artists associated with this group drew inspiration from homeland landscape scenes. The artwork was generally painted with thorough realism. The landscapes were idealized, often painted with lush vegetation and serene lakes and rivers.

Thomas Cole (1801 – 1848), and John James Audubon (1785 – 1851) became closely associated with the Hudson River School. In Cole’s landscape paintings, he attempted to depict scenes of purity of the New World. He spent much of his time painting the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York.

George Catlin (1796 – 1872) was a leading American landscape and scene painter. His subject matter focused on First Nations People west of the Mississippi. He lived in over 40 Native North American villages. He was a portrait painter for a Western Native American delegation and created stunning, highly detailed portraits.