Hudson River Scene 1857 Poster

Hudson River Scene 1857 is a paiting by John Frederick Kensett. At West Point, New York, the Hudson River flows between picturesque mountains, to both the east and the west. The region was a favourite of many of the Hudson River School artists, including Kensett, who painted numerous views of the site seen here. His vantage point was a spot near Fort Putnam, a corner of which can be glimpsed at the far right, looking north towards the bend in the river. The disparate levels of terrain permitted great variety in the depiction of light and shadow: for example, the dark foliage of the trees in the deep ravine provides a strong contrast to the sunlit rocky space in the immediate foreground, at the base of the fort. Although this artwork is digitally restored, the cracks and the fine lines are left intact on this painting to honour the time this painting emerged from.