In Nature’s Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting

Various Artists

On View

May 26, 2023—September 4, 2023

Location

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Image credit

Frederic Edwin Church (American, 1826 –1900), Syria: Ruins by the Sea, 1873 –1874, oil on canvas, 10 1/2 x 16 inches, Museum Purchase, 1922.157.1. Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania.

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About the Exhibition

In Nature’s Studio features the bounty and beauty of the American landscape from the early nineteenth century through the late twentieth century. This visually stunning exhibition explores the Hudson River School and the emergence of the first uniquely American artistic movement; Impressionism and Tonalism at the turn of the century; and Modern trends in interpreting the landscape.

More than sixty-five paintings are featured in the exhibition including works by George Bellows, Ralph Albert Blakelock, Frederic Church, Elliot Daingerfield, Arthur Bowen Davies, Childe Hassam, George Inness, Elizabeth Osborne, Andrew Wyeth, and N. C. Wyeth, among others.

In Nature’s Studio combines early depictions of bucolic American vistas—intimate forest interiors, sweeping panoramic views of natural wonders, and dramatic images of the untamed land and sea—with scenes of Europe, western Asia, and South America. The progression from realistic depictions of pastoral landscapes to the stylized impressions of time and place reflect the sensibilities of visual culture in the United States for more than 100 years.

Click here to learn more about In Nature's Studio from Hunter Curator Lauren Nye on Scenic Roots.