Jasper Francis Cropsey
Jasper Francis Cropsey encouraged his fellow artists to experience nature firsthand, observe it closely, and depict it faithfully. For painters of the Hudson River School like Cropsey, sketching outdoors was central to their practice. During the summer, these artists left their urban studios and traveled in search of natural scenery to sketch. Cropsey made his first such trip in 1843 after completing an architecture apprenticeship, and the resulting painting helped establish his artistic career.
What sounds, sights, smells, or tastes remind you of October?
When this painting was exhibited in 1887, it was described as having “brilliant autumnal foliage.” Cropsey was known for his fall landscapes, which created a sensation abroad. When his Autumn—On the Hudson River (1860) was shown in London, the painting stirred suspicion among skeptical viewers, who had never seen such colorful foliage. To prove the authenticity of the scene, Cropsey had autumn leaves sent from America and scattered them beneath the painting.
Memorial gift from Dr. T. Edward and Tullah Hanley, Bradford, Pennsylvania