Mount Hood 

Thomas Hill made this painting of Mount Hood with oil on canvas. Like many landscape painters of his era, Hill turned to nature as a source of spiritual renewal. But he was also an entrepreneur, acutely aware of the commercial potential of his art. The smooth surface of this canvas shows that Hill worked with well-refined pigments, likely commercially produced. This was the standard for fine art painting at the time. His brushwork is loose, but controlled, a mark of academic training. The painting depicts an iconic view, but also includes indigenous figures in the foreground. Their inclusion invites a deeper consideration of labor, politics, and consumption. This wasn't just a pristine wilderness, but a place of human interaction and work. The painting's idyllic view obscures the labor and resources required to produce both the scene and the artwork itself. By considering the materials, making, and social context, we gain a richer understanding of the artwork, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.