Kindred Spirits 1849

Asher Brown Durand painted "Kindred Spirits," an oil on canvas, sometime in the mid-19th century, a period marked by America's burgeoning national identity and its complex relationship with the natural landscape. Durand, associated with the Hudson River School, captures the American landscape as a divine creation. In this painting, the figures of artist Thomas Cole and poet William Cullen Bryant are placed within this landscape. They are depicted in conversation, ostensibly musing on their relationship with nature. This painting reflects the dominant cultural values of its time, emphasizing a romanticized view of nature and the importance of male intellectual companionship. It prompts a conversation about who is included in the narrative of American identity and whose voices are amplified. The concept of "kindred spirits" suggests a shared intellectual and emotional landscape, yet it also highlights questions of exclusion. Who is not invited to share this view? Durand's painting acts as a mirror, reflecting both the aspirations and the exclusions of its time, inviting us to contemplate the narratives we construct about ourselves and our world.