A Page from Paul’s Journal

March 27, 2002

When I think art, I usually think about sensory pleasure. I enjoy art from the abstract perspective and from the more realistic vantage point. Some of my favorite pieces of art come from the impressionistic period. My favorite artist of all time is Pierre Auguste Renoir. With all that said, the painting that has caught my attention like no other is the work by Jasper Cropsey entitled, “Autumn on the Hudson.” When I saw the painting up close for the first time I was struck by the way Cropsey – I can’t even think of words to describe it! He captures the sky. He captures the forest. He captures it all. The painting is so large that when I look at it, I feel as if I am actually there. How does a person, how can a person paint something so incredibly beautiful? It makes me almost homesick for a place I’ve never been before. When I look at this painting I think I almost see the tiny town in the distance coming to life. The autumn colors are incredible. The painting makes me feel warm and comfortable. Nature is so beautiful, and I think Cropsey does a fantastic job of capturing that beauty that is his painting.

Above: Paul Kelley (photo by Linda Tate).

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Jasper Francis Cropsey, Autumn on the Hudson (1860, National Gallery of Art)

 

 

Paul Kelley is an English Education major at Shepherd College.

 

“American Transcendentalism: An Online Travel Guide” was produced by students in ENGL 446, American Transcendentalism, and ENGL 447, American Literature and the Prominence of Place: A Travel Practicum. These courses were team-taught in the Department of English at Shepherd College (now Shepherd University), Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in Spring 2002 by Dr. Patricia Dwyer and Dr. Linda Tate. For more information on the course and the web project, visit “About This Site.” © 2003 Linda Tate.