View on the Androscoggin River, Maine 1870

David Johnson's painting, 'View on the Androscoggin River, Maine,' captures a serene landscape, likely painted in the mid-19th century. It reflects a cultural moment when American artists turned to their own environment, seeking a unique national identity through landscape painting. The Hudson River School, with which Johnson is associated, wasn't just about pretty pictures. It was deeply connected to ideas of expansion and settlement. The paintings served to promote the idea of the American landscape as a source of spiritual renewal. But who had access to this renewal? For whom was this wilderness a resource? This image elides the displacement of native people and the ecological transformation wrought by industrial development. Art historians examine how landscape painting, while seemingly apolitical, played a crucial role in shaping cultural attitudes toward nature and national identity. Historical documents, such as travel narratives and government reports, help us to understand the complex social forces at play in this period.