Thomas Worthington Whittredge

Worthington Whittredge was a prominent member of the Hudson River School of landscape painters. From 1849 to 1859, Whittredge studied art in Dusseldorf, Germany, where he developed an aesthetic that emphasized the meticulous recording of naturalistic details. The use of color and light in his landscapes is often referred to as a style that anticipated the forthcoming work of French Impressionists. His artwork incorporates the topographical style of the Hudson River School with the use of light and color typical of the French Barbizon School and Impressionism. His subjects range from the Catskill Mountains in New York and the White Mountains in New Hampshire to the American West. The evolving and changing style of his landscape paintings reflect the variety and flux of American society at the time. Later in his career, Whittredge served two terms as president of the National Academy of Design and played a central role in the development of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.