Hudson River School

The Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by romanticism. The paintings for which the movement is named depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area.

The Hudson River School paintings reflect three themes of America in the 19th century: discovery, exploration, and settlement. The paintings depict the landscape of American as a place where humans and nature coexist peacefully. Landscapes of the Hudson River School are characterized by their realistic, detailed, and almost idealized portrayal of nature.

Thomas Cole is often seen as the founder of the Hudson River School. His painting Oxbow has already been mentioned.

Here is a handy list of noteworthy Hudson River School artists.