The Panoramic View: The Hudson and the Thames, which is currently on view at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY, focuses on the panoramic vista, a form that became popular among artists in the late 18th century. The term panorama was originally coined by the Irish painter Robert Barker (1739-1806) to describe his wide-angle paintings of Edinburgh and London. The form was ideal for members of the Hudson River School and other artists entranced by the natural world as it allowed them to capture the sweeping grandeur of the landscapes that inspired them.
The Panoramic View includes works by Robert Havell, Jr. (1793-1878), an English artist who emigrated from London to New York and painted both the Hudson and the Thames; founder of the Hudson River School, Thomas Cole (1801-1848); and Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823-1900), a first-generation member of the Hudson River School. The exhibition features loans from galleries, private collections, and museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The New-York Historical Society.
A fully illustrated catalogue accompanies The Panoramic River, which is on view through May 19, 2013.
