Changing Landscapes
The eighth in a continuing series of Student Curatorial Projects features 19th-century French and American paintings and prints from the University of Denver Art Collections, supplemented by loans from private collections. A coordinated display of several related paintings and drawings takes place at the Denver Art Museum. Changing Landscapes features a little-known work by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and a late Albert Bierstadt landscape donated in 1890 to the University. Works by Corot, Bierstadt, Jean-Francois Millet, Jules Adolph Breton, George Innes, and others from the DAM and DU art collections, as well as from several private collections, are featured in the exhibition and catalog.
The rising regard for landscape painting in the late 19th-century was associated with a deep curiosity for simple country living, seen as an escape from urban life by the artists. The newly popular landscape genre promoted new ideas and visions, as observed directly in the open air. Many artists also looked to the unique aspects of their favorite landscapes as they explored their national or regional identities.
