From Jasper Francis Cropsey and Sanford Robinson Gifford’s travels to England to Norton Bush and Louis Rémy Mignot’s South American scenes, the Friedman Collection features a number of instances in which American artists explore international landscapes, thereby blending their nineteenth century American training with newfound subject matter.

Highlighted instances of American artists working internationally, bringing their artistic training abroad.&nbsp;

American Artists Abroad

Works from the Friedman Collection chart the nation’s leading nineteenth century painters and their exploration of the American western frontier. From Worthington Whittredge, John Frederick Kensett and Samuel Colman’s travels to Colorado to Albert Bierstadt’s studies of Nebraska, these works celebrate the untouched beauty of the American western landscape and document the history of American westward expansion in striking ways.

American artists capturing the beauty and awe of Westward Expansion is an underlying theme of the Friedman Collection.

Exploring the West

One of the hallmarks of the Hudson River School tradition is a rich sunset landscape, of which there are several striking examples in the Friedman Collection. From Martin Johnson Heade’s masterful marsh depictions to Jasper Francis Cropsey’s thoughtful juxtaposition of warm skies and reflective waters, this collection highlights this classic Hudson River School motif.

A hallmark of the Hudson River School tradition, the sunset is a recurring motif in the Friedman Collection.

Golden Hues

The studies and sketches in the Friedman Collection highlight the development of these American artists’ careers and the progression of their techniques. Both Frederic Church’s Andean Sketch and Sanford Robinson Gifford’s Derwentwater in particular relate to major oils in the Brooklyn Museum’s permanent collection, further signaling the importance of the works that shape the Friedman Collection.

Several of the Friedman pictures are studies that relate to major institutional paintings.&nbsp;

Sketches and Studies

Although nineteenth century American artists often traveled West to explore the frontier, the Hudson River School tradition is one firmly based in New York and the surrounding region. As a result, many of the subjects and landscapes depicted in the Friedman Collection illustrate the foliage, forests, and glorious waterways of the American Northeast.

Many of the Friedman paintings celebrate the American Northeast, which is in line with the Hudson River School’s home base and main regional focus.&nbsp;

Scenes of the American Northeast

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Maryann and Al Friedman were first introduced to Hudson River School painting in 1983, inspired by an exhibition entitled All Seasons and Every Light at the Vassar Art Gallery. They began their decades-long collecting journey in 1986, with a keen focus on Hudson River School artists and American nineteenth-century paintings and drawings. Their personal collection is distinctly American, rich in history, and expresses an admiration for the painters who pioneered the Hudson River School and tradition of American landscape painting.

The Hudson River School in Focus: Property from the Friedman Collection