Durand was born in, and eventually died in, Maplewood, New Jersey (then called Jefferson Village). He was the eighth of eleven children. Durand's father was a watchmaker and a silversmith.
Durand was apprenticed to an engraver from 1812 to 1817 and later entered into a partnership with the owner of the company, Charles Cushing Wright (1796–1854),[1] who asked him to manage the company's New York office. He engraved Declaration of Independence for John Trumbull during 1823, which established Durand's reputation as one of the country's finest engravers. Durand helped organize the New York Drawing Association in 1825, which would become the National Academy of Design; he would serve the organization as president from 1845 to 1861.
Asher's engravings on bank notes were used as the portraits for America's first postage stamps, the 1847 series.[2] Along with his brother Cyrus he also engraved some of the succeeding 1851 issues.[3]
Durand's main interest changed from engraving to oil painting about 1830 with the encouragement of his patron, Luman Reed. In 1837, he accompanied his friend Thomas Cole on a sketching expedition to Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks Mountains, and soon after he began to concentrate on landscape painting. He spent summers sketching in the Catskills, Adirondacks, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, making hundreds of drawings and oil sketches that were later incorporated into finished academy pieces which helped to define the Hudson River School.
Durand is remembered particularly for his detailed portrayals of trees, rocks, and foliage. He was an advocate for drawing directly from nature with as much realism as possible. Durand wrote, "Let [the artist] scrupulously accept whatever [nature] presents him until he shall, in a degree, have become intimate with her infinity...never let him profane her sacredness by a willful departure from truth."
Like other Hudson River School artists, Durand also believed that nature was an ineffable manifestation of God. He expressed this sentiment and his general opinions on art in his essay "Letters on Landscape Painting" in The Crayon, a mid-19th century New York art periodical. Wrote Durand, "[T]he true province of Landscape Art is the representation of the work of God in the visible creation..."
The First Harvest in the Wilderness, c. 1855, Brooklyn Museum
Durand is noted for his 1849 painting Kindred Spirits which shows fellow Hudson River School artist Thomas Cole and poet William Cullen Bryant in a Catskills Mountains landscape. This was painted as a tribute to Cole upon Cole's death in 1848 and a gift to Bryant. The painting, donated by Bryant's daughter Julia to the New York Public Library in 1904, was sold by the library using Sotheby's at an auction in May 2005 to Alice Walton for a purported $35 million (the sale was performed as a sealed, first bid auction, so the actual sales price is not known). At $35 million, however, it would be a record price paid for an American painting at the time.
Another of Durand's paintings is Progress (1853), commissioned by a railroad executive. The landscape depicts America's progress, from a state of nature (on the left, where Native Americans look on), towards the right, where there are roads, telegraph wires, a canal, warehouses, railroads, and steamboats. In December 2018, it was purchased by an anonymous donor for an estimated $40 million and given to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.[4]
In 2007, the Brooklyn Museum exhibited nearly sixty of Durand's works in the first monographic exhibition devoted to the painter in more than thirty-five years. The show, entitled "Kindred Spirits: Asher B. Durand and the American Landscape", was exhibited from March 30 to July 29, 2007. Durand is interred in Brooklyn, New York, in Green-Wood Cemetery.
Bedell, Rebecca (2001). The Anatomy of Nature: Geology & American Landscape Painting, 1825–1875. Princeton, NJ.: Princeton University Press. ISBN0-691-10291-0.
Durand, John (2006). The Life and Times of Asher B. Durand. Hensonville, NY: Black Dome Press Corp. ISBN978-1-883789-50-3.
Ferber, Linda (2007). Kindred Spirits: Asher B. Durand and the American Landscape. New York, NY: D. Giles Ltd. ISBN978-1-904832-26-3.
Newspapers
Rosenbaum, Lee (2005-11-01). "At the New York Public Library, It's Sell First, Raise Money Later". The Wall Street Journal. New York, NY: Les Hinton. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
"An Old-Time Artist Dead: What American Art Owes to Asher Brown Durand" (PDF). The New York Times. New York, NY. 1886-09-20. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
Ray, Douglas (2011-02-27). . The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, AL. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
Cobb, Mark Hughes (2011-02-27). . The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, AL. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
Sjostrom, Jan (2011-02-18). . Palm Beach Daily News. Palm Beach, FL. Archived from the original on 2011-02-23. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
Di Piero, W. S. (2008-02-27). "Oversoul". San Diego Reader. San Diego, CA. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
Online Publications
Avery, Kevin J. “Asher Brown Durand (1796–1886).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2009)
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asher Brown Durand.
Smithsonian Institution, Asher B. Durand Biography 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine
The Asher B. Durand Print Collection at the New York Historical Society
Artcyclopedia: Paintings in Museums and Public Art Galleries
Art Archive - Asher Brown Durand 2011-08-07 at the Wayback Machine
Alfred L. Brophy, "Property and Progress: Antebellum Landscape Art and Property Law," McGeorge Law Review 40 (2009): 601-59.
Art and the empire city: New York, 1825-1861, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains extensive material on Durand (see index)
American paradise: the world of the Hudson River school, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Durand (see index)
Green-Wood Cemetery Burial Search
Works by Asher Brown Durand at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
October 21, 2023
asher, brown, durand, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, janua. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Asher Brown Durand news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Asher Brown Durand August 21 1796 September 17 1886 was an American painter of the Hudson River School Asher Brown DurandAsher Brown Durand c 1869 by Abraham BogardusBorn 1796 08 21 August 21 1796Maplewood New JerseyDiedSeptember 17 1886 1886 09 17 aged 90 Ibid NationalityAmericanKnown forPainting Landscape artMovementHudson River School Contents 1 Early life 2 Painting career 3 Gallery 4 External video 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life EditDurand was born in and eventually died in Maplewood New Jersey then called Jefferson Village He was the eighth of eleven children Durand s father was a watchmaker and a silversmith Durand was apprenticed to an engraver from 1812 to 1817 and later entered into a partnership with the owner of the company Charles Cushing Wright 1796 1854 1 who asked him to manage the company s New York office He engraved Declaration of Independence for John Trumbull during 1823 which established Durand s reputation as one of the country s finest engravers Durand helped organize the New York Drawing Association in 1825 which would become the National Academy of Design he would serve the organization as president from 1845 to 1861 Asher s engravings on bank notes were used as the portraits for America s first postage stamps the 1847 series 2 Along with his brother Cyrus he also engraved some of the succeeding 1851 issues 3 Painting career Edit nbsp Asher Durand Kindred Spirits 1849Durand s main interest changed from engraving to oil painting about 1830 with the encouragement of his patron Luman Reed In 1837 he accompanied his friend Thomas Cole on a sketching expedition to Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks Mountains and soon after he began to concentrate on landscape painting He spent summers sketching in the Catskills Adirondacks and the White Mountains of New Hampshire making hundreds of drawings and oil sketches that were later incorporated into finished academy pieces which helped to define the Hudson River School Durand is remembered particularly for his detailed portrayals of trees rocks and foliage He was an advocate for drawing directly from nature with as much realism as possible Durand wrote Let the artist scrupulously accept whatever nature presents him until he shall in a degree have become intimate with her infinity never let him profane her sacredness by a willful departure from truth nbsp L R Henry Kirke Brown Henry Peters Gray and Durand 1850Like other Hudson River School artists Durand also believed that nature was an ineffable manifestation of God He expressed this sentiment and his general opinions on art in his essay Letters on Landscape Painting in The Crayon a mid 19th century New York art periodical Wrote Durand T he true province of Landscape Art is the representation of the work of God in the visible creation nbsp The First Harvest in the Wilderness c 1855 Brooklyn MuseumDurand is noted for his 1849 painting Kindred Spirits which shows fellow Hudson River School artist Thomas Cole and poet William Cullen Bryant in a Catskills Mountains landscape This was painted as a tribute to Cole upon Cole s death in 1848 and a gift to Bryant The painting donated by Bryant s daughter Julia to the New York Public Library in 1904 was sold by the library using Sotheby s at an auction in May 2005 to Alice Walton for a purported 35 million the sale was performed as a sealed first bid auction so the actual sales price is not known At 35 million however it would be a record price paid for an American painting at the time Another of Durand s paintings is Progress 1853 commissioned by a railroad executive The landscape depicts America s progress from a state of nature on the left where Native Americans look on towards the right where there are roads telegraph wires a canal warehouses railroads and steamboats In December 2018 it was purchased by an anonymous donor for an estimated 40 million and given to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 4 In 2007 the Brooklyn Museum exhibited nearly sixty of Durand s works in the first monographic exhibition devoted to the painter in more than thirty five years The show entitled Kindred Spirits Asher B Durand and the American Landscape was exhibited from March 30 to July 29 2007 Durand is interred in Brooklyn New York in Green Wood Cemetery Gallery Edit nbsp 1823 Declaration of Independence engraving nbsp 1835 Portrait of Luman Reed nbsp 1837 View near Rutland Vermont nbsp 1837 Gathering Storm nbsp 1845The Capture of Major Andre nbsp 1845The Beeches nbsp 1846 The Hunter nbsp 1847 The Indian s Vespers nbsp 1849 Nature Study Trees Newburgh New York nbsp 1850 Kaaterskill Landscape Princeton University Art Museum nbsp 1850Landscape Scene from Thanatopsis Metropolitan Museum of Art nbsp 1853 Progress Virginia Museum of Fine Arts nbsp 1859 The Catskills The Walters Art Museum nbsp 1859 Landscape Princeton University Art Museum nbsp 1860Rocky Cliff c 1860 Reynolda House Museum of American ArtExternal video Edit source source source source source source source Asher Brown DurandSee also Edit nbsp Hudson Valley portalList of Hudson River School artistsReferences Edit Charles Cushing Wright 1796 1854 Retrieved 14 August 2017 1847 America s First Stamps Archived from the original on 2018 07 31 Retrieved 2016 11 21 The Men Who Engraved Early U S Stamps 1955 Acquisitions of the month December 2018 Apollo Magazine 11 January 2019 Further reading EditBooksHowat John K 1987 American Paradise The World of the Hudson River School New York NY Metropolitan Museum of Art ISBN 978 0 87099 496 8 Bedell Rebecca 2001 The Anatomy of Nature Geology amp American Landscape Painting 1825 1875 Princeton NJ Princeton University Press ISBN 0 691 10291 0 Durand John 2006 The Life and Times of Asher B Durand Hensonville NY Black Dome Press Corp ISBN 978 1 883789 50 3 Ferber Linda 2007 Kindred Spirits Asher B Durand and the American Landscape New York NY D Giles Ltd ISBN 978 1 904832 26 3 NewspapersRosenbaum Lee 2005 11 01 At the New York Public Library It s Sell First Raise Money Later The Wall Street Journal New York NY Les Hinton Retrieved 2011 02 27 An Old Time Artist Dead What American Art Owes to Asher Brown Durand PDF The New York Times New York NY 1886 09 20 Retrieved 2011 02 27 Ray Douglas 2011 02 27 Fate of Warner s art collection in question with sale of Progress The Tuscaloosa News Tuscaloosa AL Archived from the original on 2016 03 04 Retrieved 2011 02 27 Cobb Mark Hughes 2011 02 27 Warner s highly respected collection loses Progress The Tuscaloosa News Tuscaloosa AL Archived from the original on 2016 03 03 Retrieved 2011 02 27 Sjostrom Jan 2011 02 18 Society of the Four Arts exhibiting Hudson River School paintings Palm Beach Daily News Palm Beach FL Archived from the original on 2011 02 23 Retrieved 2011 02 27 Di Piero W S 2008 02 27 Oversoul San Diego Reader San Diego CA Retrieved 2011 02 27 Online PublicationsAvery Kevin J Asher Brown Durand 1796 1886 In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History New York The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2000 October 2009 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asher Brown Durand nbsp Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Durand Asher Brown Smithsonian Institution Asher B Durand Biography Archived 2011 06 07 at the Wayback Machine The Asher B Durand Print Collection at the New York Historical Society White Mountain paintings by Asher Brown Durand Biography of Asher Brown Durand on White Mountain Art amp Artists Artcyclopedia Paintings in Museums and Public Art Galleries Art Archive Asher Brown Durand Archived 2011 08 07 at the Wayback Machine New York Historical Society Lee A Vedder Luce Curatorial Fellow in American Art Alfred L Brophy Property and Progress Antebellum Landscape Art and Property Law McGeorge Law Review 40 2009 601 59 Reynolda House Museum of American Art Art and the empire city New York 1825 1861 an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art fully available online as PDF which contains extensive material on Durand see index American paradise the world of the Hudson River school an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art fully available online as PDF which contains material on Durand see index Green Wood Cemetery Burial Search Works by Asher Brown Durand at LibriVox public domain audiobooks nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Asher Brown Durand amp oldid 1179411482, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
