Forest Interior with Stream

John Frederick Kensett, Forest Interior with Stream, ca. 1860-1870, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Francis J. McCoy, 1973.155
Copied John Frederick Kensett, Forest Interior with Stream, ca. 1860-1870, oil on canvas, 17 3⁄8 x 14 1⁄2 in. (44.2 x 36.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Francis J. McCoy, 1973.155
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Forest Interior with Stream
Artist
Date
ca. 1860-1870
Location
Dimensions
17 3⁄8 x 14 1⁄2 in. (44.2 x 36.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Mrs. Francis J. McCoy
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — river
  • Landscape — forest
Object Number
1973.155
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1973.155

Artwork Description

John Frederick Kensett painted intimate views of the landscape to express what he called in 1844 "that beautiful harmony in which God has created the universe" (Driscoll and Howat, John Frederick Kensett, An American Master, 1985). Images like Forest Interior with Stream suggested the nineteenth-century faith that the wilderness was a gift for man to enjoy. Kensett painted a small stream with only a few ripples to show an area of calm among the dark, tangled branches. The expressive brushstrokes and scratches of paint suggest he painted this on the spot.