American Sublime: Landscape Painting in the United States, 1820-1880

The Hudson River painters were the first coherent school of American art to help shape the National view of the American landscape. The artists that came to maturity during Jackson's presidency defined the aesthetic of a nation who, until that moment, maintained its roots with courtly Europe. In American Sublime: Landscape Painting in the United States, 1820-1880, the reader journeys through this new art movement by moving through the landscape--feeling the optimism and awe which defined a nation's identity. The book's "catalogue" chapters will visually captivate the reader with framed, dramatic vistas brought to life by each represented artist's bold colors, sense of movement and atmospheric lighting. The major Hudson River painters are all well-represented here. The book is most certainly an invaluable reference to both the art historian as well as the painting practitioner.

I purchased this book as soon as I could afford it! I love the White Mountain School of art as an offshoot of the Hudson River School, and this is a must-have for those enthusiasts of this great American school of landscape painting. Here in North Conway, we are seeing a resugence from those collectors who are now searching down paintings from that era, and we will soon have an exhibit at the new state building at the Intervale Overlook--where many of the old artists painted this scene of the pastoral views towards Mt. Washington. I wrote an Art History paper using this book and others as references, and it is available at the Conway, NH library. Albert Bierstadt's famous painting of North Moat Mountain was painted from this locale. It is on the cover of Bob McGrath's book, GODS IN GRANITE, and is available as a print from the Currier Gallery in Manchester, NH.

This was the book that hooked me into American landscapes. Written by a Brit who actually acknowledges American art. Excellent color reproductions from a variety of American artists and dozens (not all) of their landscape masterpieces. This book covers a lot of ground (pun).

This catalog of the exhibition presently at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts is an excellent guide to carry with you as you view the paintings -- particularly since the printed material on the wall adjacent to the paintings is printed in tiny type and posted way too low. The book is well organized, by theme, matching the layout of the show. There is excellent material on the artists and the events surrounding the paintings, and a some bibliography for each artist at the back (too bad many of the books are out of print). The reproductions are OK to good, but in NO WAY do they give you a sense of the actual paintings, which are awe-some, they way we used to mean it. If there's any any way you can possibly get to this exhibit, go. Then, if you wish, buy the book.