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The Hudson River was not the only subject matter for the Hudson River School of Art. Many of these artists, including Thomas Cole, traveled to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to paint more northern landscapes.

The earliest artists were drawn to the White Mountains because of their irrefutable “sublime” quality. (Read more about this in our blog post: The Hudson River School of Art.) A devastating mudslide in 1826, called The Willey Tragedy, brought attention to the powerful nature and wild environment that was integral to the White Mountains. This feature was very attractive to romantic landscape painters, so they began to swarm to the north east.

Artists Sketching in the White Mountains by Winslow Homer

Benjamin Chapney was one of these traveling artists. He fell in love with the White Mountains and made his home in North Conway so that he could continue painting scenes of this American wilderness. He opened his studio up to tourists and other artists, and this brought even more painters to the north. In Benjamin Chapney’s autobiography, he wrote, “The meadows and the banks of the Saco were dotted all about with white umbrellas in great numbers.” (Sixty Years’ Memory of Art and Artists) White umbrellas were a staple for plein air painters, and the draw of artists to artists fueled this region’s growing popularity. North Conway is arguably one of America’s first artist colonies.

Just as the style of the Hudson River School died off over time, so did the popularity for painting northern New Hampshire. Eric and Lauren bring this work back into fashion not only with their painting style and subject matter, but with their lifestyle as well. This couple moved out of New York and created a home in Jackson, New Hampshire, to be near the source of their inspiration. Their connection to history is shown by their participation in The Jackson Five, a show hosted by The Jackson Historical Society, which will exhibit work of five artists who have lived in Jackson throughout history.

Autumn Sublime by Lauren Sansaricq

Eric and Lauren’s show at The Art Place represents work that is beautifully representative of the White Mountain Art of the 19th century. Their paintings capture an untamed wilderness that still exists. They also strive to capture the same themes of the sublime, this time focusing on the fleeting status of our current natural world.

Eric and Lauren’s show will continue through June 10, although we also represent their work throughout the year. Visit their artist pages: Erik Koeppel and Lauren Sansaricq.

Our featured artists, Erik Koeppel and Lauren Sansaricq met at the birthplace of the Hudson River School of Art. The Kaaterskill Falls in New York is where this art style found its roots, paving the way as America’s first major art tradition. Erik and Lauren’s work reflects this romantic painting style, immersing the viewer in scenes that evoke awe of the natural world.

The Frankenstein Cliffs by Erik Koeppel

The Hudson River School of art was created by a group of artists, including Thomas Cole, around 1850. Rather than an art academy, the Hudson River School was more of an artist community, with several of these well-known artists even working in the same studio building together. As well as being friends, they shared the same subject matter for their work–romantic landscapes.

The Hudson River painters took advantage of the wilderness of America and accentuated it to create their work. Their paintings were distinctly American to international viewers, because they illustrated the untouched landscapes that existed in abundance in America during that time. These artists would travel to view these remote vistas and create sketches or miniature paintings that they would bring back to their studio to expand and elaborate on. The concept of painting from memory, as a tool to distill the most essential and dramatic parts of a landscape, was greatly encouraged.

Another key element to the Hudson River art tradition was use of the “sublime”. This was a concept where the powerful and sometimes terrifying aspects of nature were captured in an image. This can be seen in the painting below by Albert Bierstadt. The dramatic storm clouds add an element of fear to this painting, making the landscape even more magnificent.

A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie, oil on canvas by Albert Bierstadt, 1866

The Hudson River School of Art died off around 1900, with new art styles coming into fashion. But Eric and Lauren have revived this tradition. They believe this style of landscape painting has more significance as people become more interested in preserving nature for future generations.

Eric and Lauren’s show will continue through June 10, although we also represent their work throughout the year. Visit their artist pages: Erik Koeppel and Lauren Sansaricq.

For further reading:

The Hudson River School, Metropolitan Museum

Hudson River School, Encyclopedia Brittanica