Paradise Rocks, Newport 1865

John Frederick Kensett made this oil-on-canvas painting of Paradise Rocks in Newport during a time when landscape art was deeply connected with American identity and the idea of manifest destiny. Kensett, as a white male artist, was part of a dominant culture that saw the American landscape as both a source of national pride and an opportunity for expansion. He created images that helped define and promote a certain version of the American dream. However, the idea of "paradise" often came at the expense of Indigenous peoples who were displaced and marginalized. In this painting, the sublime and tranquil landscape invites contemplation, yet it also masks the historical and cultural complexities tied to land ownership and the impact of colonization. Kensett's work invites us to consider whose paradise is being represented and whose stories are left untold. It prompts us to reflect on how landscapes are not just neutral spaces, but are imbued with histories of power, identity, and belonging.