Martin Johnson Heade
Winding River, Sunset is part of a series of small-scale compositions Heade painted depicting the plentiful salt meadows and marshes in the Northeast. The marshes seen here were in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Dating back to the colonial era, the freely available marsh hay that grew along the river provided essential food for livestock while other varieties were used as roof thatch and wall insulation.
Using a horizontal format, Heade emphasizes the expansive, natural panorama that appears almost infinite. The soft, diffused light lends the picture a stillness that, in part, gave rise to a style later called Luminism.
We present today's beautiful painting thanks to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. : )
P.S. If you would like to admire American landscapes, we have a few great opportunities for you! Here are some artsy snaps from National Parks and the American West in art; here you can visit beautiful California in paintings; and here's nature celebrated by the Hudson River School painters, American-Style! Enjoy! <3