Introduction: The Grand Tradition of Landscape

In the 19th century, there was much that was considered "grand." In a century that began with the Romantic's emphasis on emotion, and ended with the Victorian's preference for intense color and heavy form, many styles--art styles as well as lifestyles--were called "grand." And in the 19th century also there was a great love of tradition. Perhaps because that century is now known as the "era of Revolutions," it is also known as the "era of revivals," evidence that the constant urge for change necessitated a concurrent clinging to convention. It is therefore notable that, in a century of urbanization and increasing technology, landscapes should have become one of that era's grandest traditions. It is the development of 19th century European and American landscape that is the subject of the current exhibition. The works included here are presented as examples of the two levels on which landscape existed as a primary presence throughout the century; these two levels, each orchestrated by professional artists, addressed different but interrelated audiences and purposes. For the 19th century professional artist, landscape represented a new genre, and a radical departure from the figural drawing that had been the emphasis in their training and in "important art" immediately prior to their time: it relied on a sophisticated theory of the Sublime which placed them in the role of near-priest, interpreter, and teacher. For the "amateur" who in the 19th century was encouraged to reach ever-higher ambitions of his or her own, the study of--and learning from--nature followed this same theory but also reflected new lifestyles. These included a new accessibility of travel to new places which begged for visual remembrances, as well as new leisure time, which could be spent drawing, painting, or simply viewing. As studies from nature gained recognition, there emerged a new type of landscape artist who took advantage of opportunities to show work in the usual Salons and public exhibitions. Like-minded artists formed societies and movements to propagate landscape interests. Significantly for the second level of the tradition, these artists were also eager to expand their ideas, as teachers for various institutions, as authors of numerous "how-to" books on landscape art, and as printmakers whose works on paper made their images commonly available. The works exhibited here display both of these levels of landscape work: as carried on by the professional, who increasingly saw the artist's role as teacher, and by the amateur, who had both the desire and the means to learn. Together, they firmly embraced their roles as mutual maintainers of "the grand tradition" of landscapes.