On Wednesday May 8 from 2-3 pm the Scarsdale Library will host Dashiell Jordan, Head Librarian at the Academy of Art at the Newington-Cropsey Foundation in Hastings-on-Hudson, to discuss the legacy of the Hudson River School of artists. Considered one of the first truly American schools of art, Hudson River School painters - the term was initially used disparagingly by European art critics - were inspired by the aesthetics of Romanticism to depict the vistas of North America using themes of discovery, exploration, and settlement. Respected and popular in the early 19th century, the school's American pedigree and focus on landscapes fell out of favor by the turn of the 20th century. Reevaluations and rediscoveries in the 1960s and 1970s have since led to renewed interest in the Hudson River School, and their paintings have performed well at auction ever since.
Mr. Jordan will discuss the trajectory of the Hudson River School's popularity and reputation in America and abroad. There will be time for questions and answers after the presentation.
