Asher B. Durand was a prominent landscape painter who shifted from steel engraving to painting in 1837, after being inspired by summer sketching trips with Thomas Cole. He shared Cole’s belief in the beauty of the unadulterated American landscape, but their aesthetics eventually diverged. Durand’s paintings are known for his meticulous portrayal of nature, particularly trees.
In his artwork “Study from Nature: Rocks and Trees”, painted in 1856 and belonging to the Hudson River School style, Durand captures a detailed portrait of beech and basswood trees. He used greys and dark colors for rocks and foliage while bright green was reserved for plants and white for water. The artwork was commissioned by a New York collector.
Durand’s focus on nature is evident in his depictions of nature’s therapeutic power as well as his precision drawings of trees, rocks, and foliage that are highly accurate to what can be found in nature. Overall, “Study from Nature: Rocks and Trees” provides evidence of Durand’s exceptional attention to detail.<\p>
