Hudson River Landscape

Homer Dodge Martin strove to evoke the spirit and mood of nature. Influenced by the landscapists Thomas Cole and John F. Kensett, he preferred to paint naturalistic scenes of the Catskill and Adirondack mountains in New York. His panoramic views of the Hudson River valley were widely admired. In this one, the land looks untouched at first glance, but closer inspection reveals evidence of people: a fence at the lower right and a figure (or two) on horseback. This idealized vision of the Hudson River is typical of paintings at the time. The serene image gives no hint of the violence and political turmoil of the Civil War years (1861–65).