Dover Plains, Dutchess County, New York

Asher B. Durand, Dover Plains, Dutchess County, New York, 1848, oil on canvas, 42 1260 12 in. (107.9153.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Thomas M. Evans and museum purchase through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1978.126
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Artwork Details

Title
Dover Plains, Dutchess County, New York
Date
1848
Dimensions
42 1260 12 in. (107.9153.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Thomas M. Evans and museum purchase through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Landscape — New York — Dutchess County
  • Landscape — New York — Dover
  • Animal — cattle
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Figure group
Object Number
1978.126

Artwork Description

The pre-Civil War American landscape served as an idyllic reminder of the nation’s promise, a real-world Garden of Eden.Paintings by Durand and other Hudson River school artists focused on the Arcadian qualities of the landscape. When Dover Plains was first shown in 1848 an art critic wrote, “It is so invested with the characteristics of the natural scenery of our land that almost every visitor who looks upon it could localize the scene.” Durand helped promote the idea that the country’s scenery was emblematic of the nation’s ideals.

Works by this artist (7 items)

Asher B. Durand, Mary Louisa Adams, 1835, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Adams-Clement Collection, gift of Mary Louisa Adams Clement in memory of her mother, Louisa Catherine Adams Clement, 1950.6.1
Mary Louisa Adams
Date1835
oil on canvas
On view
Asher B. Durand, Woodland Glen, ca. 1850-1855, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1984.48
Woodland Glen
Dateca. 1850-1855
oil on canvas
On view
Asher B. Durand, Musidora, 1825, engraving, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation, 1966.48.75
Musidora
Date1825
engraving
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

George Catlin, Comanche Giving Arrows to the Medicine Rock, 1837-1839, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.472
Comanche Giving Arrows to the Medicine Rock
Date1837-1839
oil on canvas
Not on view
William Holbrook Beard, The Runaway Match, 1877, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1977.55
The Runaway Match
Date1877
oil on canvas
Not on view