Landscape—Scene from "Thanatopsis"

Asher Brown Durand

1850 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Inspired by William Cullen Bryant’s poem "Thanatopsis" (Greek for "view of death"), this landscape was first exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1850. The inclusion of a funeral; a farmer engaged in daily work; and Egyptian, classical, and medieval ruins reflects the poem’s emphasis on the omnipresence of nature and the inevitability of death. After the exhibition, Durand’s painting was purchased by the American Art-Union and distributed to one of its subscribers. The organization often acquired contemporary landscapes, helping to popularize the genre with middle-class consumers who sought appealing and affordable works for display in their homes.

Artist

Asher Brown Durand

Date

1850

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1911