Woodland Interior 

John Frederick Kensett painted this woodland scene, in which a stream flows through a dense forest, during a time of great change and industrialization in the United States. Kensett belonged to the Hudson River School, a group of landscape painters who found spiritual and emotional sustenance in nature. Their reverence for the American landscape was in stark contrast to the ongoing displacement and violence inflicted upon Indigenous peoples, who were being forced off their ancestral lands in the name of progress and expansion. "Woodland Interior" is a powerful reminder of how the beauty of nature can be both a source of solace and a reflection of the complex relationship between humanity and the environment. It invites us to consider the ethical dimensions of our interactions with the natural world. Kensett captures a deeply personal connection to the land. In doing so, he challenges us to recognize the historical and cultural context that shaped our understanding of nature.