Trees, Hudson 1866

Andrew Fisher Bunner made this pencil drawing titled "Trees, Hudson" sometime in the late 19th century. Bunner was associated with the American Barbizon school, a group of painters who favored intimate, pastoral scenes, often rendered with soft, diffused light. The Hudson River School artists were particularly interested in conveying the experience of being in nature. They emphasized the subjective, emotional response to the landscape rather than a purely objective representation. How might this drawing be an exploration of the cultural and environmental transformations happening at the time? The choice of a seemingly untouched, natural setting might reflect a yearning for simpler times, away from the industrial expansion of urban centers. But it also subtly reminds us of the land's complex history. Bunner invites us to contemplate our relationship with the land, its past, and its uncertain future.