The Heart of the Andes, 1859, by Frederic Edwin Church
Oil on canvas
Height 66 1/8 inches, Width 119 1/4 inches
Frederic Edwin Church was a member of the Hudson River School of
painters, active in the 19th century in America, and based in the
New York City and Hudson River Valley areas. Founded by Thomas Cole,
Church became Cole's only pupil near the end of Cole's life. His work
was highly acclaimed during his lifetime, including this work which
is a monumental and vast depiction of a landscape scene and the creatures
that inhabit it.
The detail of this painting (above) is of a couple praying before
a cross. Spirituality was central to the work of Church, and landscapes
were often used to demonstrate spiritual or religious themes.
As one author describes it, the Hudson River School "perfected an
art of transcendence. Their paintings create the illusion of vast
space, extreme distance, and depth upon depth. Instead of using a
finite vanishing point on the horizon to close off the composition,
they typically use the vanishing point, lost in light, to open up
the painting. In a Hudson River School landscape the natural panorama
extends so far into the distance that the eyes fail, leaving only
a glimpse of infinitely receeding light. ... The eye does not linger
on nature for its own sake; rather, the eye is made to go through
and beyond nature toward something ineffable." (Painters of Faith,
p. 16-17)
Arthur, John. Spirit of Place: Contemporary Landscape Painting
and the American Tradition. Boston: Bullfinch Press, 1989.
The Grove Dictionary of Art Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed
17 September 2002), <http://www.groveart.com>, "Landscape
painting, 19th century, Late 19th century."
Kelly, Franklin. "Church, Frederic Edwin." The Grove
Dictionary of Art Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed 17 September 2002),
<http://www.groveart.com>
Kelly, Franklin. "Hudson River School." The Grove Dictionary
of Art Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed 17 September 2002), <http://www.groveart.com>
Minks, Louise. The Hudson River School. New York: Crescent
Books, 1989.
Veith, Gene Edward. Painters of Faith: The Spiritual Landscape
in Nineteenth-century America. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publications,
c2001.
Yaeger, Bert D. The Hudson River School. [NY, NY]: TODTRI,
c1999.
