Artist: John George Brown Place/date of birth: Durham, England 1831 Place/date of death: New York, New York 1913 Title: On the Hudson Date of completion: 1867 Materials: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 39 x 72 inches Signed, dated and inscribed lower left: J.G. Brown/N.Y.1867 Collection: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Accession number: 1979.7.19 Introduction John George Brown's On the Hudson depicts a stretch of New Jersey shore along the Hudson River, near Fort Lee and the present site of the George Washington Bridge. (Fort Lee was built during the Revolutionary War as part of the Continental Army's unsuccessful attempt to keep the British from occupying New York in November, 1776.) This region is known as "The New Jersey Palisades." Discussion A group of passengers is waiting for the arrival of the "Thomas E. Hulse," a commuter steamboat that traveled a route along the New Jersey side of the Hudson to lower Manhattan. Other barges and sailing vessels can be seen in the picture. The geography of the Northeast, with its many inlets and small river systems, was well-suited to steamboats which quickly became an important means of transportation. As a result of this new type of travel (and concurrent developments in roads and rail transportation), smaller towns near major cities became linked to the cities. This was the beginning of the development of suburbs. The steamboat also benefitted tourism in the Northeast. Places that were once many days of uncomfortable travel by road were now a day's journey by boat or train. One result of these developments was that Americans experienced a heightened appreciation of the landscape. Looking Closely This painting is a celebration of the Hudson River Valley's landscape at the peak of its beauty during the fall foliage season. A contemporary of Brown's wrote about the Palisades: The Palisades, viewed from a distance, present a somewhat monotonous outline, unattractive to the lovers of the picturesque; but when seen nearby, from the water's edge, and thus in parts, they offer peculiar and highly interesting studies of rock and tree. . . . If any scenery in the United States clothes itself with the mournful interest that attaches to old-world ruins, it is surely the Palisades of the Hudson. - "The Palisades," Watson's Weekly Art Journal 3. no. 12 (15 July 1865): 179, 180. Style Warm rich tones of autumn dominate Brown's landscape. The composition is divided into three equal bands of sky, land, and water, a common compositional device in landscapes. The water is painted with broad strokes of color while autumn leaves appear soft and spongy. The steamboats, however, are depicted with sharp clarity. The Hudson River School of landscape painting dates from 1825 to 1875 and was influenced by European Romanticism; the goal of this school of art was to portray the scenic beauty of the Hudson River Valley for all to see and enjoy. Along with Brown, its artistic members also included Thomas Doughty and Thomas Cole. Artist Born and raised in England where he was trained as a glassmaker, John George Brown moved to New York in 1853. The owner of the glass factory where he worked encouraged Brown to pursue his talent for painting. By 1860 Brown had established himself as a full-time artist and a prominent figure in the New York art world. He was best known for his paintings of daily life in New York City: images of newspaper vendors, shoe-shine boys, and shoppers. Additional Reading John K. Howat, American Paradise: The World of the Hudson River School. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987. Links to American History Curriculum
SLIDE 20
ON THE HUDSON
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