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Forest Interior with Stream

Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery

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Object Details

Artist
John Frederick Kensett, born Cheshire, CT 1816-died New York City 1872
Luce Center Label
John Frederick Kensett painted intimate views of the landscape to express what he called in 1844 "that beautiful harmony in which God has created the universe" (Driscoll and Howat, John Frederick Kensett, An American Master, 1985). Images like Forest Interior with Stream suggested the nineteenth-century faith that the wilderness was a gift for man to enjoy. Kensett painted a small stream with only a few ripples to show an area of calm among the dark, tangled branches. The expressive brushstrokes and scratches of paint suggest he painted this on the spot.
Luce Object Quote
"Bright colors are sparingly distributed through the natural world . . . even in [the] season of bloom; while the main masses [of a scene] are made of cool greens, greys, drabs, and browns intermingled, and are always harmonious and agreeable." Kensett, The Crayon, April 1860, reprinted in Driscoll and Howat, John Frederick Kensett, An American Master, 1985
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Francis J. McCoy
ca. 1860-1870
Object number
1973.155
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
17 3/8 x 14 1/2 in. (44.2 x 36.8 cm.)
See more items in
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department
Painting and Sculpture
On View
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 13B
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Topic
Landscape\river
Landscape\forest
Record ID
saam_1973.155
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk719abc224-5e98-42d2-abb1-02b58e0c5020
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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