Study of Rocks in a Landscape (from Sketchbook) 1835 - 1839

Francis William Edmonds made this pencil sketch, Study of Rocks in a Landscape, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. At first glance, it appears to be a simple nature study, a quick record of a rocky scene. But Edmonds was a key figure in the New York art world and was deeply engaged in the social and cultural issues of his day. Edmonds was a successful banker who turned to painting, becoming known for his genre scenes depicting everyday life in America. In the context of the Hudson River School, artists celebrated the American landscape as a symbol of national identity and expansion. Edmonds's detailed study of rocks, then, can be seen as part of this broader cultural project. What do the rocks mean to an expanding nation that is beginning to define itself? This drawing, and others like it, suggest that artists, even in their most seemingly straightforward depictions of nature, were actively participating in shaping American identity. To understand this further, we might look at travel writing, political speeches, and other cultural documents of the period to understand better the cultural significance of the land.