White Mountains (?) c. 1825 - 1830

Asher Brown Durand’s “White Mountains (?)” is a drawing, though its exact date remains unknown. Durand was a key figure in the Hudson River School, a mid-19th century American art movement which celebrated the nation’s landscape. This landscape encapsulates the romantic nationalism that defined the era. The White Mountains, with their majestic peaks, came to symbolize the sublime and untamed wilderness of America. Durand invites viewers to contemplate the relationship between humanity and nature, specifically white men and nature. Two figures are placed in the landscape, small in comparison to the natural scenery, which emphasizes nature's grandeur, while eliding the history of settler colonialism and the violent displacement of indigenous peoples. The depiction of the lone house suggests a harmony between civilization and the natural world, a narrative which served to legitimize westward expansion. Durand's art helped shape a national identity deeply intertwined with the land. He prompts us to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out when we construct our understanding of the American landscape.