TOEFL iBT Reading Hudson River School

​The Hudson River School

​TOEFL iBT Reading

The Hudson River School

The question could be asked as to who was the first truly American painter. To this question many art historians would probably respond that it was Thomas Cole. Though born in England, he became inspired with the American landscape, and for many years he became its finest exponent. But it was not just any landscape that interested him, he seemed especially influenced by the dramatic natural scenes he found in northern New York near Catskill on the Hudson River, and concentrated his efforts on producing landscapes of that region. Unlike many artists, his efforts did not go unrewarded and he rather quickly gained recognition for his paintings.

❷→ The paintings themselves reflected the ideas of the Romantic Movement in art that was currently sweeping through Europe, but his subject matter was particularly American. All Romantic painters looked to nature as a source of inspiration and then used it to express scenes that depended largely on an emotional rather than analytical interpretation. Cole was no different except that he used American landscapes to this end. As his fame grew, so did interest in the part of the country represented in his landscapes. This influence was especially strong among other artists, many of whom began to flock to the Catskill area. Together they formed what is referred to as the Hudson River School. Generally speaking, they were a group of artists and romanticized landscapes of the Hudson River region.

❸→ As time passed and their influence grew, other artists outside this region began to paint in a similar style. So it was that artists like the German-born Albert Bierstadt were referred to as belonging to the Hudson River School, even though his subject matter was generally scenes of the American West. In fact, nearly any American artist between about 1830 and 1880 who painted detailed landscapes which portrayed their love of nature was referred to as being from the Hudson River School.

❹→ To some degree the Hudson River School artists were making an attempt to discover exactly what it meant to be an American rather than, say, a European artist. (A) ■ This attempt was mainly formed around the idea that the American landscape itself was unique, and that it represented a sort of wild beauty that had all but disappeared from Europe. (B) ■ The wilderness, in fact, formed a major theme in these artists’ paintings. (C) ■ The paintings often show the frightening power of the wilderness while at the same time displaying a certain optimism in the face of this power, a sort of belief that America and the Americans would prevail over all that nature could produce. (D) ■ The attention to detail tended to enhance the idea of the ability to control nature’s power. It was as if painting the details was a way of controlling nature’s random forces. But, although almost scientific in its concern for exact representation, the overall effect tended to be emotional.

​❺→ Despite its optimistic ideals, the movement lost its appeal when American artists began looking back to Europe for a source of inspiration. The Impressionist Movement that was beginning was offering another alternative to painters. The Impressionists had grown tired of what they considered to be the overly sentimental paintings of the Romantics. Though they maintained much of the subject matter of the Romantics, they believed that technical detail added nothing to a painting and that it was the ability to paint light that was important.

But the influence of the Hudson River School lived on despite such criticisms. From the Symbolist movement to the Expressionists, Surrealists, and Photorealists, the idea that emotion can and should be portrayed through art lived on

Multiple Choice

1. The word flock in the passage is closest in meaning to

• paint

• meet

• be attracted

• go

Multiple Choice

2. According to paragraph 2, why were painters interested in the Catskill area?

• Because it was beautiful.

• Because Thomas Cole lived there.

• Because they had seen Cole’s paintings of the area.

• Because they wanted to join the Hudson River School.

Multiple Choice

3. Why is Thomas Cole considered the first American painter?

• He formed the Hudson River School for American artists.

• He wanted to break from the tradition of European Romanticism.

• He was able to understand the American landscape better as he was not from Europe.

• He expressed Romanticism by painting American landscapes.

Multiple Choice

4. In paragraph 2, why does the author mention the Romantic Movement?

• To define Romanticism

• To stress its influence on European painters

• To contrast American and European history

• To show American artists in Romantic painting

Multiple Choice

5. What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about Albert Bierstadt?

• He was considered part of the Hudson River School although he painted in Germany.

• He expressed a love of nature in his paintings of the American West.

• Although German, he was not influenced by European Romanticism.

• The Hudson River School was popular even in Germany.

Multiple Choice

6. Why does the author mention the wilderness in paragraph 4?

• To contrast the influence of nature on American and European art

• To show that nature had a similar influence on artists both in America and Europe

• To suggest that Europeans could never truly understand American art

• To suggest that Americans were more controlled by nature

Multiple Choice

7. According to paragraph 4, why was the painting of detail important in American painting?

• It helped express the idea of the wilderness.

• It was a way to control nature.

• It showed a difference between American and European painting.

• It showed the American painters’ interest in science.

Multiple Choice

8. According to paragraph 4, what contrast did American paintings try to show?

• Nature could be beautiful but dangerous.

• Nature was both scientific and artistic.

• The wilderness was both pessimistic and optimistic.

• American landscape was unique while European landscape was not.

Multiple Choice

9. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

Though it certainly had its beautiful natural areas, it lacked the untamed beauty of the American wilderness.

Where would this sentence best fit?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Multiple Select

10. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage.

This question is worth 2 points.

Thomas Cole is often considered the first truly American artist and the founder of the American Romantic Movement in painting.

• B

• C

• D

• E

• F