Mountain Landscape, Stream and Waterfall 1860

William Hart rendered this mountain landscape with stream and waterfall in graphite and white gouache, using a brown paper to give it warmth. Hart was a Scottish-born American landscape painter, and a key figure in the Hudson River School, a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by landscape painters. Hart’s romanticism captured the majesty of the American landscape, coinciding with a period of Westward expansion and industrial growth. However, these representations often excluded the narratives of the Indigenous peoples who inhabited these lands, reflecting a complex relationship between nature, identity, and national progress. Here, the rushing water and verdant trees evoke a sense of sublime power, inviting us to reflect on our place within the natural world, and its ever changing face. As you gaze at the drawing, consider how Hart's vision shapes our understanding of the landscapes we inherit and inhabit.