Lake George after 1851

John William Casilear painted this scene of Lake George in oil on canvas at an unknown date. The Hudson River School artists believed American landscapes were a form of divine revelation, representing the country as a new Eden. This image is a good example: the scene is peaceful and harmonious. But what was the social reality? In the nineteenth century, the American myth of untamed wilderness served to mask the displacement of indigenous people, and the rise of capitalist agriculture and industry. The wilderness was only available for artistic contemplation because of these historical conditions. By analyzing paintings like this, and by consulting sources like census records, maps, newspapers, and other documentary evidence, we can gain a better understanding of the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shape artistic production.