If a painting could make a melody, Twilight in the Wilderness, and the work of Romantic Landscape Painter Fredric Church would sound like this to me. We Move Lightly.
Meet Frederic Edwin Church from the prestigious Hudson River School, the only pupil of the founder Thomas Cole.
Frederic Edwin Church was born on May 4th 1826. He was born into wealth which allowed him to pursue his interest in art from a very early age. At 18 he became a pupil of Cole who founded the prestigious Hudson River School.
Church learned the art of landscape painting and used extraordinary detail, romanticism, and luminism in his paintings. With excruciatingly detail he lighted nature.
One of his most famous painting was painted in 1860, Twilight in the Wilderness. Painted on the eve of the Civil War, it may represent the uncertain times facing the country.
Church’s art was extremely lucrative, he was reported to be worth approximately half-a-million dollars at his death, about 12.5 million dollars today.
Americans were enamored with Church’s all-American appeal and brilliant body of work.
Toward the end of his life he was affected with rheumatoid arthritis which greatly reduced his ability to paint. He eventually painted with his left hand and continued to produce his work, although at a much slower pace.
What is the Hudson River School?
The Hudson River School was a group of landscape painters who were active from about 1825 to about 1880. Their work was characterized by an interest in realistic depictions of nature and a burning desire to celebrate distinctly American scenery that was influenced by romanticism. They helped to shape the American Landscape and also defined a distinct vision for American Landscape art.
