Artwork Details
26-1/2 x 36 in. (canvas) 38-1/4 x 45-1/4 in. (framed)
Accession NumberGift of Mrs. Lydia G. Millard
CopyrightAmerican Painting and Sculpture 1800-1945
Color PaletteLydia Millard; given to the John Herron Art Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, now the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, in 1912.
Durand began his career as an engraver but took up landscape painting in the mid-1830s under the influence of Thomas Cole. He later succeeded Cole as leader of the Hudson River School, America's first native group of landscape painters. Durand's canvas displays a compositional type favored by Cole in the more allegorical works. Relying also on the English picturesque tradition, Durand divided the scene into two zones. Despite its obvious emphasis on nature, the painting is a metaphor for the young nation - an illustration for the popular theme of immigrants confronting the New World. One the left is the primeval forest, often interpreted as both an untamed realm and a haven for spiritual contemplation by American philosophers and poets such as William Cullen Bryant. The right side reveals the unspoiled wilderness of the new Eden, the proverbial Promised Land, to the pioneers wending their way through the landscape.
Content Disclaimer and Usage Rights
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.