The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art presents The Hudson River School. Nature and the American Vision, an exhibition of 45 masterworks by Hudson River School artists on loan from the New-York Historical Society on view May 5 and on view through September 3, 2012.
THOMAS COLE, Catskill Creek, NY, 1845, Oil on canvas 261/2x 36in (67.3×91.4cm), The Robert L. Stuart Collection, S-157
“We are delighted with this unique opportunity to present such a distinguished and important collection for our Members and guests,” said Don Bacigalupi, Crystal Bridges executive director. “The Hudson River School celebrates the landscapes around them in these spectacular works, creating a milestone American movement that we also sought to highlight in the Museum’s own permanent collection. This exhibition is the perfect complement.”
The New-York Historical Society organized the exhibition with works selected from their rich collections of 19th-century American landscape painting. The exhibition was designed to travel while the society’s galleries were closed during renovations, offering an unprecedented opportunity to share works that have rarely traveled. The Hudson River School: Nature and the American Vision includes Thomas Cole’s legendary five-part series: The Course of Empire and other masterworks by Cole, John F. Kensett, Albert Bierstadt, Jasper F. Cropsey, Asher B. Durand and many others. This exhibition at Crystal Bridges will be the last time these works are on display outside of the New-York Historical Society. The New-York Historical Society reopened, coincidentally, on the same date Crystal Bridges opened: 11-11-11.
Linda Ferber, New-York Historical Society senior art historian and curator of the exhibition, and Kevin Murphy, curator of American art at Crystal Bridges, will participate in special programs including a private preview and a lecture for Crystal Bridges members.
“The New-York Historical Society houses one of the oldest and most comprehensive collections of landscape paintings by artists of the Hudson River School. We welcome this unique opportunity to share these treasures with a national audience,” Ferber said.
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of landscape. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate our heritage and artistic possibilities.
Crystal Bridges
Museum of American Art
600 Museum Way
Bentonville, Arkansas 72712
Telephone: 479-418-5700
www.crystalbridges.org