Artwork
In the Connecticut Hills
In the Connecticut Hills is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Ben Foster. It dates from 1914 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1914, measuring 106.
The work is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1914, measuring 106.4 cm in height and 121.6 cm in width. The handling reflects the tonalist approach characteristic of early twentieth-century American landscape practice, with subdued, blended brushwork that emphasizes atmospheric recession rather than sharp detail. Stylistically, the composition organizes rolling hills and rhythmic tree masses into a shallow, layered space, creating a quiet, contemplative mood through muted earth tones and soft transitions of light.
The canvas support and oil medium were prepared in the manner typical of academic studio practice of the period, facilitating the smooth gradations of tone that define the scene’s subdued luminosity.
History & Provenance
Ben Foster created the oil-on-canvas landscape painting In the Connecticut Hills in 1914. The work measures 106.4 centimeters in height and 121.6 centimeters in width. It depicts a rural scene characterized by hills and trees.
The painting is currently part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No specific details regarding the original commission, the initial owner, or the detailed chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records. The work remains attributed to Foster based on its inception date and stylistic classification as a landscape painting.
In the Connecticut Hills is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, an oil on canvas painted in 1914 by Ben Foster, measures 106.4 cm by 121.6 cm. It is listed in the museum’s catalogue as part of the permanent holdings, though a specific accession or inventory number is not provided in the available documentation. No exhibition history is recorded in the sources consulted.
Legacy
In the decades following its creation, 'In the Connecticut Hills' has come to be regarded as a representative example of early 20th‑century American landscape painting, noted for its atmospheric treatment of terrain and careful rendering of natural forms. The work's inclusion in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's permanent collection has contributed to its scholarly attention and has positioned it within discussions of Ben Foster's oeuvre and the development of regional landscape motifs in the 1910s.
Overview
Ben Foster's oil painting, In the Connecticut Hills, dates from 1914. This landscape composition captures a natural scene, focusing on the rugged terrain and dense vegetation of the region. The work is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it represents a facet of early 20th-century American landscape art.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a dense, untamed woodland, characterized by slender trees reaching upwards from a rough ground strewn with rocks and undergrowth. A distant, indistinct hill appears through the hazy atmosphere, while patches of light penetrate the canopy, illuminating parts of the tangled forest. This portrayal emphasizes the wild, uncultivated aspects of the Connecticut landscape.
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