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
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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
- Subjects
- Landscape — forest
- Landscape — river
- Object Number
- 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.
