Considered the first major American painting movement, the Hudson River School emerged in the first half of the 19th century with landscape paintings that celebrated the young country’s natural beauty. Most of its leading painters were based in New York City where they exchanged ideas and traveled to the nearby Hudson River Valley and Catskills Mountains to re-create their vistas. At a time when the city was increasingly dense, the Hudson River School artists extolled the vast and pristine qualities of the American landscape, a sentiment that would inform the conservation movement.
American art was dominated by portraiture and historical scenes before Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School, began painting the Catskill Mountains in 1825. While the Hudson River School was informed by European art aesthetics, particularly the British focus on the sublime in nature, it was a style imbued with nationalism. The landscape painters who followed and studied under Cole would expand their focus from the Northeastern United States to places across the country, their work shared through prints and portfolios promoting an appreciation for the American wilderness — Niagara Falls, the mountain ranges that dot the American West and more — as the style blossomed during the mid-19th century.
Cole’s student Frederic Edwin Church as well as painters such as Albert Bierstadt, John Frederick Kensett, Asher Brown Durand and others became prominent proponents of the Hudson River School. The American art movement also had close ties to the literary world, including to authors like William Cullen Bryant, Henry David Thoreau and James Fenimore Cooper who wrote on similar themes. Although by the early 1900s the style had waned, and modernism would soon guide the following decades of art in the United States, the Hudson River School received renewed interest in the late 20th century for the dramatic way its artists portrayed the world.
Find a collection of authentic Hudson River School paintings, drawings and watercolors and more art on 1stDibs.
“Lake in the Adirondacks” by Levi Wells Prentice 19th C. American Landscape
Located in Yardley, PA
About this work: “Lake in the Adirondacks” by Levi Wells Prentice (American, 1851-1935). A charming and finely detailed Adirondacks landscape by Prentice. This composition looks out...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American School Hudson River School Sunset Ruins Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American sunset landscape oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Unsigned. Measuring: 12 by 14 inches overall, and 8 by 9 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang an...
Oil
Antique American School Hudson River School Summer Cows Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American sunset landscape oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Unsigned. Measuring: 12 by 14 inches overall, and 8 by 9 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang an...
Oil
Antique European Realist Cow Portrait Giltwood Framed Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique German landscape oil painting with a cow by Thomas Ludwig Herbst (1848 - 1915). Oil on board. Unsigned. Framed. Measuring: 22 x 2...
Oil
“Manchester-by-the-Sea” Ann Sophia Towne Darrah, 19th C. Female Artist American
Located in Yardley, PA
About this work: “Manchester-by-the-Sea” by Ann Sophia Towne Darrah (American, 1819-1881). Darrah was among the earliest American women to establish a professional reputation as a p...
Oil, Board
Antique American 19th Century Southern School Louisiana Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American landscape oil painting. Oil on paperboard. Framed. Measuring: 10 x 14 inches overall, and 7 x 10 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Oil
$4,500
“Quebec City, 1853” Panoramic Landscape View, Cityscape, Canada Signed Oil
By Edmund C. Coates
Located in Yardley, PA
“Quebec City, 1853” by Edmund C. Coates (American, 1816-1871). A luminous 19th-century view of Quebec City by the American painter Edmund C. Coates, known for his detailed Hudson Ri...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Impressionist Framed Marsh Landscape Southern School Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist fall landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Nicely framed in a giltwood molding. Measuring: 16 by 21 inches overall, and 12 by 17.25 painting a...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Impressionist Finely Painted Luminous Forest Interior Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American luminous landscape oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Measuring: 13 by 11 inches overall, and 8.5 by 6.5 painting alone. Nice period frame. Excellent condition, ...
Oil
$900Sale Price|55% Off
Catskill Mountains from Germantown NY
By Thomas Cole
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Gorgeous panoramic sunset landscape by unknown artist, ca. 1890. Oil on canvas measuring 20 x 34 inches. Depicted are the Catskill Mountains facing west from somewhere in Dutchess County NY...
Oil, Canvas
Folk Art American Hudson River School Landscape Figures Homes Rare 19th Century
Located in Buffalo, NY
A 19th century American landscape depicting a quiet coastal or lakeside scene at dusk, where a small cluster of houses rests along the water’s edge beneath a softly glowing sky. A n...
Oil, Board
Antique French Sunset Impressionist Barbizon Signed Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique French landscape oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 15 x 17 inches overall, and 7.25 x 9.25 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Oil
Dawn at the River
Located in North Clarendon, VT
Wonderful Hudson River School painting, oil on canvas. Obviously painted by a talented artist, unsigned and a mystery for you to solve. Canvas stamped Edward Dechaux NY. An amazing...
Oil
Antique American Hudson River School Coastal Sunset Seascape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American sunset seascape beach scene oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Signed. Measuring: 15 by 21 inches overall, and 9 by 15 painting alone.. In excellent original cond...
Oil, Board
Antique American Hudson River School Luminous Coastal Sunset Seascape Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Signed and dated K. W. Newhall 1881, this luminous seascape by American painter Kate White Newhall (1840–1917) captures a dramatic coastal scene at sunset with refined academic techn...
Oil, Board
Lawrence Mazzanovich Antique American Tryon North Carolina Sunset Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist sunset landscape oil painting by Lawrence Mazzanovich (1871 - 1959). Oil on panel. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 18 by 20 inches overall, and 11 by 13.5 p...
Oil, Wood Panel
Antique American Pastoral Hudson River Painting Farm Oxen 1890 19th Century Rare
Located in Buffalo, NY
A 19th century American landscape depicting a pastoral valley framed by autumnal trees, with distant mountains rising softly along the horizon. A river winds through the foreground, ...
Oil, Board
Antique American School Framed Signed Serene Lake Landscape Original Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 24 by 33 inches overall, and 20 by 29 painting alone. Nice period frame. Excellent condit...
Oil, Canvas
Deer in a Wooded Landscape, Oil on Canvas, Late 19th Century, Framed
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Deer in a Wooded Landscape Oil on canvas 33 x 40 inches (83.8 x 101.6 cm) Framed dimensions: 44 1/2 x 51 in Provenance Sotheby's, New York, May 27, 1993, lot 170; Godel Fine Art, N...
Canvas, Oil
Gone Fishing
Located in North Clarendon, VT
Wonderful Hudson River School oil on board of a fisherman in a peaceful River scene. Monogram and dated on reverse. 9.25" x 12.25" housed in a carved frame measuring 11.5" x 14.5".
Oil
$7,600
Moonrise in the Mountains (Hudson River School Style Nighttime Landscape)
Located in Hudson, NY
Luminist, Hudson River School inspired landscape of Catskill mountains with moonlit blue sky "Moonrise in the Mountains", painted by Hudson Valley artist, Jane Bloodgood-Abrams in 20...
Canvas, Oil
Morning in the Tropics: Late 19th Century Hudson River School Painting
By Frederic Edwin Church
Located in Milwaukee, WI
According to the catalogue raisonne of Church's work, the artist only produced one painting titled Morning in the Tropics (1858). This painting currently resides at the Walters Art M...
Canvas, Oil
Santa Clara Cuba Antique Tropical Framed Palm Tree River Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Cuban impressionist landscape oil painting. Oil painting circa 1890. Framed. Measuring: 13 by 16 inches overall, and 12 by 9 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang and...
Canvas, Oil
$746Sale Price|25% Off
Antique American Impressionist Hudson River School Coastal Seascape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique impressionist painting of a coastal seascape. Oil on canvas, circa 1900. Signed illegibly. Framed. Image size, 18L x 12H.
Canvas, Oil
Mount Desert Island, Maine Oil on Paper Painting, Signed, 10 x 14 in
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Mount Desert Island, Maine, likely Thunder Hole Oil on paper mounted on board 10 x 14 inches (25.4 x 35.6 cm) Framed dimensions: 16 3/4 x 20 11/16 inches Signed lower middle: F. S. F...
Paper, Oil, Board
$3,550
Large Scale Early 20th Century Bucolic Mt. Hood Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous landscape with two cows drinking water in a pond with Mt. Hood in background by listed artist William M. Lemos (American, 1861-1942). Signed "W.M. Lemos" lower right. Presented in vintage gilt-toned frame that shows wear (included as-is). Condition: Good: previously owned and used, with little or no signs of wear and is in good condition. No structural issues. Image size: 29"H x 49"W. Born in New York, Professor Lemos moved to San Francisco in 1887 where he established a studio at 106 Geary Street. He later moved to Santa Cruz in 1896, where he settled, painting murals for many local businessmen and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. As a boy Lemos earned money by wandering the streets and painting on request. Arriving in San Francisco in 1887, he established a studio at 106 Geary. With his wife Mabel, he worked in Los Angeles for a few years in the 1890s. After settling in Santa Cruz in 1896, he painted murals for many local businessmen. When the original Beach Casino was built there at the Boardwalk in 1904, Lemos was the first concessionaire and worked there for nearly 40 years. On his platform in the Casino, Lemos did paintings of redwoods, still lifes, forest fires, beach scenes, and marines. Many of his oils were done on redwood slabs which were popular with the tourists; in the early days these paintings sold for one dollar and up depending on the size of the work. After his vision failed and he was unable to paint, his last years were mostly spent fishing off the Municipal Pier with a friend who baited his hook for him because he could no longer see. In the March 27, 1941 Santa Cruz Sentinel News Lemos reminisced, "Them were the days when the Boardwalk was only twelve feet long and when business got slow I picked up my shotgun and went across the street and shot ducks where the Casa del Rey Hotel now stands." Exhibited: Calif. State Fair, 1885; Mechanics' Inst. (SF), 1889. In: Santa Cruz City Museum; Wawona Hotel (Yosemite). Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940" His mother was Julia Lemos, a Chicago artist famous for her depiction of the Chicago fire, “Two of Julia’s children became successful artists. Her eldest son, William, was a naïve still life, landscape, and mural painter. As a young boy in New York, he would wander the streets, earning money for the family, by ‘painting on request.’ At age 26, William moved to San Francisco, California. He opened an art studio and kept it running until he moved to Santa Cruz with his wife, Mabel, in 1896. During this period, he worked as a fresco artist painting ‘murals for many local businessmen.’ Exhibited California State Fair, Sacramento, 32nd annual, per Sacramento Daily Union, September 9, 1885. and article goes on to say “William Lemos and wife, Sacramento – Art school exhibits in which are shown such a variety of designs in decorative art, flower painting, and ornamentation, that one must give time to the examination.” Exhibited Mechanics Institute, San Francisco, 1889. “Lemos and his wife were in Fresno California 1890...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Late 19th Century Tonalist Landscape -- Afternoon by the Pond
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous tonalist oil painting woman walking in field by pond with home in background by Willis Seaver Adams (American, 1844-1921), circa 1880. Trees and an amazing sky in the background add depth and interest to this beautiful piece. Signed "W. S. Adams" lower right corner. Condition: Previous restoration includes relining of canvas. Frame is vintage gilt molded and wood frame and shows previous repair of molding losses. Image size: 20"H x 24"W. Auctions records for the artist exceed $6,000. Willis Seaver Adams was known for his landscapes of the Connecticut River Valley. A relative recluse for much of his artistic life, his loneliness can be seen in much of his works. Oil miniatures were the focus for almost all of his later works. He is credited with over 425 oils, watercolors, and drawings. Willis Seaver was born in 1844 on a farm in Suffield, near the Connecticut River. He intermittently attended the Suffield Academy, and always wanted to be a painter. A wealthy doctor became his patron, and financed his studies in 1868 at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. When the doctor passed away, Adams returned home and struggled to make a living painting. After working for a photographer for three years, he opened his own studio. Adams helped organize Cleveland's first watercolor exhibit in 1876. Soon thereafter, he completed a portrait of Rutherford B. Hayes, then governor of Ohio, prior to his becoming President of the United States. This portrait enhanced Adams notoriety. In 1878, Adams traveled to Italy where he opened a studio in Venice, and became friendly with neighbor James Whistler. Prior to returning to Springfield, Adams lived in Florence, Italy for three years. He returned to became an instructor for the Springfield Art Association, and began to exhibit his works at the galleries of James D. Gill. His first one-man exhibit was held there in 1894. Other successful exhibitions took place in Chicago, New York, and Boston. Although his works garnered respectable prices and reflected his success, Adams felt he was due more recognition. In 1906, he moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts and converted a barn into a studio. There, he fell into relative obscurity, accompanied mainly by his dog, Collie. In 1921, Adams passed away. Examples of Willis Adams works can be seen at the Kent Memorial Library, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and the Suffield Academy. Several Suffield residents are thought to own Adams paintings.
Linen, Oil
Portraits of a man and Woman Circa 1850-1860 Original Oil on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Portraits of a man and Woman Circa 1850-1860 Original Oil on Paper Early American portraits in the style of and possibly by Henry Bryan Hall (English/American, 1808-1861) Later in hi...
Oil, Laid Paper
Luminous Hudson River School Landscape Cows Grazing Wide Gold Frame Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
A finely rendered 19th century Hudson River School landscape depicting cattle grazing within an expansive open field, set beneath a softly illuminated sky. The composition is anchore...
Canvas, Oil
$11,800Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Hudson River School Scalp Level Pennsylvania Landscape Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American Hudson River School landscape oil painting by Jasper Holman Lawman (1825 - 1906). Framed. Oil on board. Signed. Image size, 10H by 16L.
Oil, Board
$15,000
"Pastoral Landscape, " William Hart, Hudson River School, Cloudy View with Cows
By William Hart
Located in New York, NY
William Hart (1823 - 1894) Pastoral Landscape, 1877 Oil on canvas 9 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches Signed and dated lower left Born in Paisley, Scotland, William Ha...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Sunset Seascape Giltwood Framed New England Harbor Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American sunset seascape oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 18 by 24 inches overall, and 12.25 by 18 painting alone.. In excellent original condition. Ha...
Oil, Board
American School California Framed Mountain Western Snowy Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
American impressionist landscape oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Measuring: 21 by 18 inches overall, and 19 by 16 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Oil
Yellowstone Falls Landscape - Original Turn of the Century Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Yellowstone Falls Landscape - Original Turn of the Century Oil Painting Substantial and period painting of Yellowstone Falls by an unknown artist (American, 19th-20th Century), c.18...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Hudson River School Style - The Homestead and Grist Mill 1942
By A. Mathieu
Located in Soquel, CA
Hudson River School Style - The Homestead and Grist Mill 1942 In the Hudson River School style by A (K) Mathieu (American, 19th-20th C). Harvest time at the Homestead with a hay wago...
Oil, Illustration Board, Stretcher Bars
$12,000
"Harbour of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, " Julius Montalant, Maritime Port Trade
Located in New York, NY
Julius Montalant (1823 - 1898) Harbour of Rio Janeiro, 1843-1850 Oil on canvas 17 x 24 inches Signed and dated lower right; conservator's inscription on the reverse Born in Virginia, probably Norfolk, Julius Montalant is known for his drawings and paintings inspired by his travels on board navy ships. Attached to the USS St. Louis around 1844-45, he sketched ports of call he visited, including Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, and China. Many of his works are held in the Museum of the U.S. Naval Academy. Navy records indicate his rank as 'C. Clerk', which may mean that he held a civilian position. During the 1850s he lived in Philadelphia, and in 1851-61 he exhibited at the Philadelphia Art Union and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Included were paintings of North America, Greece...
Canvas, Oil
$3,040Sale Price|20% Off
Mount Hood From Clear Lake, Early 20th Century Large-Scale Panoramic Landscape
Located in Soquel, CA
Mount Hood From Clear Lake, Early 20th Century Large-Scale Panoramic Landscape Large-scale panoramic oil painting landscape of Mount Hood from Clear Lake by William M. Lemos (Ameri...
Stretcher Bars, Linen, Oil
Late 19th Century Oil Painting San Francisco Bay Sunset
By William Alexander Coulter
Located in Soquel, CA
San Francisco Bay Sunset Hudson River School circle of William Alexander Coulter Luminous San Francisco Bay 1870s landscape of sunset over water with red buoy in foreground and sail...
Linen, Oil
$12,000
Charles Louis Heyde 19th c Vermont Landscape Oil Painting, Camel's Hump - Summer
Located in Milford, NH
A fine Vermont landscape oil painting by American artist Charles Louis Heyde (1822-1892). A prominent New England landscape painter, Charles Heyde lived in Vermont from the early 185...
Canvas, Oil
$36,000Sale Price|20% Off
Historic and Rare 19th Century Arctic Iceberg Seascape Framed Winter Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American winter seascape with an iceberg by Carl Philipp Weber (1849 - 1922). Oil on canvas. Signed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a period gold g...
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Original Southern California Landscape -- Eucalyptus Grove
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Oil Southern California Landscape C. 1930s -- The Eucalyptus Grove Vibrant, painterly Southern California landscape of iconic Eucalyptus trees by Andrew Boardo Lund (1877 ...
Linen, Oil
American School Impressionist Sunset Palm Tree Landscape Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American school impressionist tropical landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas board. Framed. Measuring: 13 by 14 inches overall, and 9.5 by 11.25 painting alone. Unsigned. Ex...
Oil
Racing Yacht Comet Off New York, Oil on Canvas, Framed, 1879
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Racing Yacht "Comet" Off New York, 1879 Oil on canvas 14 x 24 inches (35.6 x 61 cm) Framed dimensions: 24 1/2 x 34 1/2 inches Signed lower left: A. Cary Smith 79 Provenance Private...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American 1900 SUNSET LUMINOUS Stream Landscape Figure W/ Boat
Located in New York, NY
Here we have an incredible Luminous Landscape with a boat in a stream by Charles P Appel (1857-1928) Painting is very calm and soothing to look at…. amazing condition, unlined and ...
Oil
Adirondack Landscape Painting, Oil on Board, Mid-19th Century
By Alexander Helwig Wyant
Located in Fredericksburg, VA
This serene Adirondack landscape is a significant and deeply moving example of the work of Alexander Wyant, whose career marked a critical transition from the Hudson River School tow...
Board, Oil
Sunset Boating Landscape, Hudson River School, Oil on Canvas, Signed
Located in Fredericksburg, VA
Paul Weber was a German born artist that painted beautiful American Landscapes. He exhibited his works in New England, specifically Philadelphia and Boston. After his famed period of...
Oil, Canvas
“Woodland Study”
Located in San Francisco, CA
Remarkably, this painting tells its own story on the verso. To save your eyesight, here's what it reveals: James McDougal Hart (1828-1901) Landscape, animal, and portrait painter. A ...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
$9,500
Trout Fishing, 1871 by Hudson River School artist Ernest Parton (1845-1933)
Located in New York, NY
Hudson River School artist Ernest Parton's (1845-1933) "Trout Fishing," is oil on canvas, measures 11.25 x 15.75 inches, and is signed and dated 1871 at the lower left. The work is f...
Canvas, Oil
Antique Blazing Sunset Landscape Framed Impressionist Signed Rare Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school impressionist sunset landscape oil painting . Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 8 by 11 inches overall, and 6 by 9 painting alone. Excellent conditio...
Oil
"Cows in a Stream" Arthur Parton, Hudson River School, Tonalist, Skyscape
Located in New York, NY
Arthur Parton Cows in a Stream, 1880 Signed and dated lower left Oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches Along with his younger brother Ernest Parton, Arthur Parton was a prominent figure wit...
Canvas, Oil
Large Panoramic YOSEMITE VALLEY Western California Encampment Landscape Figures
Located in New York, NY
Joseph John Englehart (1867-1915) was a prolific American landscape painter who painted in realist style. He was born on June 14, 1867 in Chicago, Illi...
Oil
Sunset - A Sketch
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Sunset - A Sketch, 1895 Oil on board 6 x 12 inches (15.2 x 30.5 cm) Framed dimensions: 13 1/8 x 19 3/8 inches Signed and dated lower right: M.J.H. 95 Provenance Frederick Mont and ...
Oil, Board
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
Early Antique American School New England Sunset Sailboat Marine Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Up for sale here is a really impressive mid 19th century painting. Very fine quality and great color! Unsigned. Framed. Image size, 13 by 17.
Canvas, Oil
$12,800
PERIOD American Antique Civil War Portrait of Officer and His Horse
Located in New York, NY
American artist Franklin Briscoe (1844-1903) known for his hirtorical and portrait paintings, paints a Civil War piece; it is a portrait of an officer with his white horse. The brus...
Board, Oil
Hudson River School Style Painting, Signed Brundell
Located in New York, NY
G. Brundell Untitled, c. Early 20th Century Oil on canvas Sight: 10 x 18 in. Framed: 19 7/8 x 27 7/8 x 2 in. Signed lower left
Canvas, Oil
Hudson River School Style Painting, c. 1900
Located in New York, NY
Untitled, c. 1900 Oil on canvas 16 x 24 in. Framed: 22 3/4 x 31 x 2 in. Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
$27,800Sale Price|20% Off
Large Antique American Hudson River School Waterfall Landscape Rare Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American rare woman artist Hudson River School waterfall landscape by Susan E. W. Fuller (1831 - 1907). Oil on canvas. Signed. Large and impressive painting. Handsomely fr...
Canvas, Oil
Hudson River Landscape by American Artist Johann Hermann Carmiencke (1810-1867)
By Johann Hermann Carmiencke
Located in New York, NY
Painted by Hudson River School artist Johann Hermann Carmiencke, "Hudson River Landscape" is oil on canvas and measures 12 x 18 inches. The painting is signed and dated 1865 at the l...
Canvas, Oil
Into the Night
Located in New York, NY
Signed lower left in arrowhead: RA Blakelock.
Canvas, Oil
$9,500
Adirondack Stream by Hudson River artist Joseph Antonio Hekking (1830-1903)
Located in New York, NY
Painted by Hudson River School artist Joseph Antonio Hekking (1830-1903), "Adirondack Stream in Fall" is oil on board and measures 8.5 x 6.5 inches. The painting is signed at the low...
Oil, Board