Dover Plains, Dutchess County, New York

The pre-Civil War American landscape served as an idyllic reminder of the nation’s promise, a real-world Garden of Eden. Paintings by Durand and other Hudson River school artists focused on the Arcadian qualities of the landscape. When Dover Plains was first shown in 1848 an art critic wrote, “It is so invested with the characteristics of the natural scenery of our land that almost every visitor who looks upon it could localize the scene.” Durand helped promote the idea that the country’s scenery was emblematic of the nation’s ideals.