John Frederick Kensett

One of the leading Hudson River School artists, John F. Kensett was originally from Cheshire, Connecticut. He began his artistic career as a bank note engraver in the roaring financial market of the 1830’s. When the “Wild Cat Era” (named after one of the colorful images engraved on the paper currency of a short-lived bank) ended with the Panic of 1837, Kensett went abroad to study painting in England and France.

For almost ten years he studied the works of the Old Masters along with Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole’s best friend. Durand’s influence was considerable as Kensett’s oils are noted for their sense of calm, as opposed to the almost violently dramatic feel of Cole’s signature works.