In the Woods

Asher Brown Durand

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This monumental painting departs from the pastoral treatment of Durand’s earlier works to celebrate the shadowy solitude of the deep woods. Living and dead trees rise from the fertile decay of the forest floor. In the summer of 1854, Durand had made plein-air studies in the Catskill Mountains in preparation for this work, and while it was on view at the National Academy of Design, the artist published his acclaimed “Letters on Landscape Painting.” In the third installment, he wrote, “That is a fine picture which at once takes possession of you—draws you into it—you traverse it—breathe its atmosphere—feel its sunshine, and you repose in its shade without thinking of its design or execution, effect or color.”

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art