The artists of the Hudson River School, formed in the 19th century in the United States, focused on depicting the landscapes of New England, Pennsylvania, and, of course, the Hudson River. The founder of the art movement, Thomas Cole, gathered around him a group of painters who exalted the wild nature of North America in their works. After Cole's death in 1848, a second generation of Hudson River School artists emerged, including landscape artist John Frederick Kensett.
Kensett was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, graduated from school at the Cheshire Academy, then went to Europe, where he studied painting. The artist traveled around Europe for several years, honing his skills, and returned to the United States in 1847. Having settled in New York, he opened his own studio and often went out into nature, which was the main subject of his works. The distinctive feature of Kensett's work was luminism - a style characterized by the absence of noticeable brushstrokes, emphasizing calm and tranquility.
The artist gradually moved away from the classical vision of the Hudson River School, he increasingly moved towards luminism. His late paintings are minimalist, sometimes almost the entire space is filled with water, sky and clouds, and only a piece of the shore is visible. Kensett was financially successful and often supported other artists. Most of his best works were painted in 1872, in the last year of his life - in December, Kensett died of pneumonia. A large collection of the artist's paintings is kept in the Metropolitan Museum.
Source:
metmuseum.org
