KINDRED SPIRITS BY ASHER BROWN DURAND

 PART 13 OF A 17 PART SERIES ON FAVORITE ART AND ARTISTS

Kindred Spirits by Asher Brown Durand

 

Most of the art I've shown up to this point is European in origin. I'm now crossing the Big Pond, as the Brits call it, and conclude with artists from the US. 

The Hudson River School of Painting was founded by Stephen Cole, and one of his students (and friends) was Asher Brown Durand (1796-1886).  Cole passed away in 1848, and another friend, poet William Cullen Bryant spoke an eulogy at his funeral. Art patron Jonathan Sturges was moved by this eulogy, so he commissioned Durand to paint a picture of Cole and Bryant, as a memorial of their friendship for the poet.

Durand for his part encouraged painters to paint landscapes out in the open, using nature as their model, as well as developing their own style, as opposed to working from sketches and imitating the European style of landscapes being allegorical. 

I've got news for you - I love this painting. Would I have it in my series if I didn't? There are two reasons why. First is the beauty of the landscape Durand painted, from the Catskill Mountains, combining the geological formations of Kaaterskill Clove with a small image of Kaaterskill Falls.

The other is that the painting of Cole (right) and Bryant moves me as well. In this case, it is a shared love of nature between the men. In my opinion, Durand did as good a job of capturing what friendship looks like as he does with the natural scenery.

What do you all think of this picture? How would you picture friendship? If someone commissioned an artist to paint a picture of you and a friend similar to "Kindred Spirits," who would be painted with you, and what would be the background?