Artwork
Summer Afternoon
Summer Afternoon is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist Asher Brown Durand. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 15.30.60
- Credit line
- Bequest of Maria DeWitt Jesup, from the collection of her husband, Morris K. Jesup, 1914
About this work
Cattle stand at the edge of a bright stream in Asher Brown Durand's 1865 canvas, the grass flecked with afternoon light filtered through overhanging leaves.
Cattle stand at the edge of a bright stream in Asher Brown Durand's 1865 canvas, the grass flecked with afternoon light filtered through overhanging leaves. Commissioned by railroad financier Morris K. Jesup, it entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1914 through the bequest of his widow, Maria DeWitt Jesup. The modestly scaled work shows Durand's close study of shifting light on water and misty distance.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a pastoral landscape on a summer afternoon, featuring a lake, river, artificial pond, cattle, trees, clouds, and the sun. The inclusion of cattle and an artificial pond introduces a subtle human presence within a serene natural setting, a characteristic motif of the Hudson River School. This iconography suggests a harmonious balance between civilization and the wilderness.
The work's tranquility and idealized summer light convey a sense of peace and the sublime beauty of the American landscape, embodying the spiritual and contemplative values central to Asher Brown Durand's artistic vision.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting measures 57.2 by 88.9 cm. It is a landscape composition depicting a river, lake, sky, clouds, trees, sun, cattle, and an artificial pond, all evoking a summer afternoon. The work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Asher Brown Durand painted Summer Afternoon in 1865. The work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a landscape painting in the American Wing. No earlier ownership or commission details are recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Asher Brown Durand's "Summer Afternoon," painted in 1865, exemplifies his mature period as a leading figure of the Hudson River School. This oil on canvas depicts cattle at a stream's edge, rendered with a focus on natural light and atmospheric effects. The modestly sized work, measuring 22 1/2 by 35 inches, showcases the artist's dedication to capturing the subtle nuances of the American landscape.
Legacy
The enduring significance of "Summer Afternoon" was recognized in 2014 when a detail from the painting appeared on a United States postage stamp. This inclusion was part of the "American Treasures" series, which honored Hudson River School painting. Such recognition affirms the artwork's established position within the canon of nineteenth-century American landscape art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Asher Brown Durand spent his life in the rolling hills of New Jersey, where the forests and farmland shaped his quiet, deliberate way of seeing.
