Landscape with Trees (from Sketchbook VII) 1886

William Trost Richards created this graphite landscape within the pages of Sketchbook VII. Richards, a painter associated with the Hudson River School, was dedicated to capturing the natural world. Consider how the act of sketching allowed Richards to intimately connect with the land, especially during a time of increasing industrialization. What did it mean for the Hudson River School artists, largely white men, to claim ownership over these landscapes through their art? The very act of portraying nature as untouched overlooks the historical presence and stewardship of Indigenous peoples. Artists like Richards were, perhaps unwittingly, participating in the erasure of native claims to the land. This small sketch invites us to contemplate the complex relationship between art, nature, and the politics of representation. How can we, as viewers, become more aware of the stories that landscapes tell?