In the United States, landscape painting is a time-honored tradition that is inseparable from the spirit of American art. From Colonial times, American art had been governed by special circumstances unique to this land. Unlike Europe, our art was nurtured in the absence of empowered patronage. America’s democratic tendencies were forceful factors that led to the popularization of landscape painting as the ideal vehicle for expressing the American spirit. Landscape painting afforded an avenue to express the divine creator and nature as one, an understanding of spirituality that was unconstrained by religious patronage. At the same time, it created a metaphor of the American landscape as the God-given fountainhead from which sprang the bounty and opportunity of rustic American life.

Land and light have continuously been an integral part of American art. The Hudson River School, a group of early nineteenth century artists led by Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and Asher B. Durand (1796-1886) ventured into what at the time was the "wilderness" of upstate New York. They were in awe of the beauty and grandeur of nature and developed a popular and enduring style that centered on landscape as primary subject. They were intent on recording the natural environment and in a very real sense, they were the environmental activists of their day.

Today, there are numerous landscape painters, many of whom paint the landscape directly outdoors, or en plein-air. Perhaps like no other artist, the plein-air painter is mesmerized by natural light and that passion drives them to seek natural light and paint it regardless of climate, weather, and natural impediments. To paint the landscape, one has to be in the landscape.

It is this fervent passion for outdoor light in all its forms that drives landscape painters to leave the studio and paint outdoors. Outside, they face the constant struggle to hasten their technique, the better to catch those few elusive moments of specific natural light for in just two or three hours, the light will be appreciably different.

California offers an endless variety of landscape. Its many distinct ecological regions were a constant inspiration to generations of landscape painters. Moreover, California is blessed with clear intense light. On the coast, the sun is forceful, coming off the surface of the ocean and immersing the landscape with a dynamic intensity. In the open spaces of the desert, there is little to absorb the light, creating seemingly endless spaces.

We invite you to partake of the beauty and magic of these landscape paintings. The exhibit shows a multitude of styles and approaches that painters have used to render the landscape. Yet in their unique way, each of these paintings reveal the beauty and expressive sensitivity of California’s landscape. Look profoundly and embrace the unique power of art to enrich each of our lives.

Jean Stern, Guest Curator

Image:

Ralph Hulett (1915-1974)

"Autumn Morning Sierras"

c. 1950

Oil

23 1/2 x 35 1/2"

The Hilbert Collection