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Midterm Exam Format

• Midterm exam day: Friday

• Question Format:

  • There will be two questions:

  • One question includes a picture.

  • The other question does not have a picture.

• If you are taking it at the DRC (Disability Resource Center):

  • Request a color image if needed.

• Exam Materials:

  • Picture will be displayed on the screen for those in the classroom, printed in black and white for the exam.

  • There will be sheets of paper for essay writing.

• Topics to be covered:

  • Beautiful, picturesque, sublime landscapes in gardening.

Key Concepts from Class

Aesthetic Concepts:

Beautiful:

• Description:

  • Burke’s definition relates to smooth contours, particularly likened to the contours of a woman’s body (eighteenth-century sexist perspective).

  • In landscaping, beautiful landscapes include trimmed lawns, gentle slopes, and classical architecture.

• Example:

  • A neoclassical house with a beautifully manicured lawn.

Pastoral:

• Related to living in harmony with nature (e.g., Thomas Cole’s depiction in paintings such as "The Course of Empire").

• Description:

  • Represents serenity, rationality, and areas where people live harmoniously with nature.

Picturesque:

• Description:

  • Positioned between beautiful and sublime.

  • Landscapes appear wilder, less manicured.

  • Example:

  • Gothic revival houses and natural landscapes with elements of shadow and mystery.

Sublime:

• Description:

  • Characterized by overwhelming and frightening landscapes.

  • Elicits feelings of terror and self-preservation.

• Burke emphasized that the sublime generates feelings of fear meant to be experienced vicariously without danger.

• Example:

  • Landscapes embodying wilderness that evoke dread and awe.

Connection to Artwork: Hudson River School Paintings

• Many Hudson River School paintings feature elements from different aesthetic categories: sublime, pastoral, beautiful.

• Thomas Cole’s original five paintings depict an evolution from the sublime (serene, unaltered nature) to the pastoral (cultivation and farming).

Manifest Destiny

• Definition:

  • The belief that American expansion across the continent was both justified and inevitable, seen as a divine right to develop the land from coast to coast.

• Connection:

  • Artists can manipulate landscapes, reflecting the ideology behind the westward expansion.

• Gifford Pinchot’s father, a logging industry figure, highlighted the duality in views towards nature and its resources.

Thomas Cole and Jervis McIntyre

Thomas Cole:

• Considered a founder of the Hudson River School.

• Proposed that landscapes have a uniquely American character and commented critically on industrialization and clear-cutting forests in his writings.

Jervis McIntyre:

• Had a direct connection to Thomas Cole and was influenced by themes of nature.

• Known for smaller-scale, introspective landscapes, often referred to as "melancholic" with a limited color palette.

• Developed mental imagery through nature instead of the grand sweeping vistas typical of Cole’s work.

Landscape Aesthetic and Evolution: McIntyre

• Important characteristics:

  • Focused on twilight scenes, creating a poetic encounter with nature.

  • His palette range was much more subdued compared to predecessors, marking an evolution in style appealing to contemporary collectors.

Legacy of the Hudson River School and Conservation

• The Hudson River School artists influenced conservation efforts by evoking the importance of preserving beautiful nature.

• Symbolized by figures like Gifford Pinchot, who emphasised responsible use of natural resources by promoting sustainable forestry practices.

Washington Irving and Sunnyside

Washington Irving:

• Renowned for tales like "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

• Engaged deeply with valorizing the Dutch folklore in the Hudson Valley.

Sunnyside:

• Irving's residence, eclectic architecture influenced by various styles, including Gothic and Dutch revival elements.

• Constructed and renovated from an 18th-century farmhouse, reflecting blending elements of history, nature, and personal mythology.

• The intricacies of the home symbolize Irving's literary themes of folklore, history, and nature, becoming part of his storied legacy.

Architectural Features of Sunnyside:

• Characteristics:

  • Incorporates crow-step gables, dormer windows, clustered chimney pots—integrating various historical influences.

  • Developed during the early 19th century, built as a personal sanctuary for writing and introspection.