Post by katiem7 on May 22, 2008 22:36:45 GMT -5
Au Natural: Transcendentalism's Influence on Artists
Transcendentalism, an ideology created in the nineteenth century by scholar Ralph Waldo Emerson, criticizes society’s hindering influence on all humans. Emerson, through many essays such as Nature and Self Reliance, stresses the role of the individual in society. Humans should not conform to certain standards or practice certain rituals which society deems acceptable. The goal of transcendentalism is for a person to find their true self without the help of society and others. The best way to go about doing this is by living in solitude and living in nature, for when in nature one is forced to “live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life” (Thoreau 172). In nature, there is unlimited potential. This endless amount of possibility forces the individual to rely on their “sixth” sense, namely intuition. Relying on intuition forces one to discover his or her true identity and true capability. Although Emerson laid the foundations for the transcendental movement, he was never able to apply what he said to his life. Rather, Henry David Thoreau was the one who tested and applied what Emerson preached. While living in the woods, Thoreau focused on “simplicity, simplicity, simplicity” and living without the commodities of society (Thoreau 173). This idea is transcendentalism because it forces one to live to their greatest potential. Along with simplicity, the dawn also allows for one to find their true soul, for the dawn of each new day means endless possibility. Transcendentalism challenged humans to tap into their souls and find out who they really are without any influence. It is up to the individual to forge his or her own path, for having a path created by others, simply perpetuates conformity.
In response to the spread of transcendentalism throughout the country, a group of landscape artists formed the Hudson River School in which they painted scenes of the Hudson River Valley and of the Catskill region. All of the paintings done by the artists are filled with transcendental ideas and themes, specifically Asher B. Durand’s landscape entitled “Early Morning at Cold Spring”. In the painting, there is a man looking out towards the new light of day what appears to be a town which is extremely far away from him. He is removed from all of the modernity of society and he is simply standing on the edge of the water. This picture is extremely transcendental; it is obvious that the man has completely moved away from the comforts of society to brave the unknown natural world in order to find who he is. The man in the painting looks almost as if he is searching for something in the light of the new day. Thoreau stated in his novel Walden that morning is “the most memorable season of the day, [it] is the awakening hour” (Thoreau 171). The morning signifies a new day and it is up to the individual to harness all of this potential that the morning offers and use it to better his or her existence. Another interesting note about this painting is that if glanced at extremely closely, one could argue that the focal point of the painting is not the man; it is actually the tree next to the man. Painted with slightly darker and bolder colors, this tree seems to jump out rather than the man standing next to it. Since transcendentalism is centered on the idea that nature holds the keys to living it would make sense that Durand would have a natural element, specifically a tree, be the focal point of his work.
Transcendentalism, an ideology created in the nineteenth century by scholar Ralph Waldo Emerson, criticizes society’s hindering influence on all humans. Emerson, through many essays such as Nature and Self Reliance, stresses the role of the individual in society. Humans should not conform to certain standards or practice certain rituals which society deems acceptable. The goal of transcendentalism is for a person to find their true self without the help of society and others. The best way to go about doing this is by living in solitude and living in nature, for when in nature one is forced to “live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life” (Thoreau 172). In nature, there is unlimited potential. This endless amount of possibility forces the individual to rely on their “sixth” sense, namely intuition. Relying on intuition forces one to discover his or her true identity and true capability. Although Emerson laid the foundations for the transcendental movement, he was never able to apply what he said to his life. Rather, Henry David Thoreau was the one who tested and applied what Emerson preached. While living in the woods, Thoreau focused on “simplicity, simplicity, simplicity” and living without the commodities of society (Thoreau 173). This idea is transcendentalism because it forces one to live to their greatest potential. Along with simplicity, the dawn also allows for one to find their true soul, for the dawn of each new day means endless possibility. Transcendentalism challenged humans to tap into their souls and find out who they really are without any influence. It is up to the individual to forge his or her own path, for having a path created by others, simply perpetuates conformity.
In response to the spread of transcendentalism throughout the country, a group of landscape artists formed the Hudson River School in which they painted scenes of the Hudson River Valley and of the Catskill region. All of the paintings done by the artists are filled with transcendental ideas and themes, specifically Asher B. Durand’s landscape entitled “Early Morning at Cold Spring”. In the painting, there is a man looking out towards the new light of day what appears to be a town which is extremely far away from him. He is removed from all of the modernity of society and he is simply standing on the edge of the water. This picture is extremely transcendental; it is obvious that the man has completely moved away from the comforts of society to brave the unknown natural world in order to find who he is. The man in the painting looks almost as if he is searching for something in the light of the new day. Thoreau stated in his novel Walden that morning is “the most memorable season of the day, [it] is the awakening hour” (Thoreau 171). The morning signifies a new day and it is up to the individual to harness all of this potential that the morning offers and use it to better his or her existence. Another interesting note about this painting is that if glanced at extremely closely, one could argue that the focal point of the painting is not the man; it is actually the tree next to the man. Painted with slightly darker and bolder colors, this tree seems to jump out rather than the man standing next to it. Since transcendentalism is centered on the idea that nature holds the keys to living it would make sense that Durand would have a natural element, specifically a tree, be the focal point of his work.