An unprecedented alliance between environmental scientists and art scholars delved into the potential accuracy of nineteenth-century paintings in providing insights into landscape ecology. The study primarily focused on the works of Asher Durand from the Hudson River School, aiming to establish a set of inquiries that could guide other researchers in identifying paintings (and artists) that might hold ecological clues from the past. Are.
The Beeches, 1845. Artist Asher Brown Durand. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
Heritage Images via Getty Images
When mapping out changes in nature over time, environmental scientists typically compare contemporary data with historical information collected in the past. Although most of this data is generated by researchers, there are alternative sources of ecological information.
“The exploration of previous environments – historical ecology – offers significant context for forecasting alterations in landscapes,” explained Dana Warren, an associate professor in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University (OSU).
In the United States, for example, ecologists have examined land surveys dating back to the era of early European settlers, which documented the land. However, those surveys rarely provide intricate details about the state of the observed forests.
Thus, Warren and her fellow ecologists sought to explore a different historical resource: landscape paintings.
If accurate, paintings can serve as valuable scientific records. Throughout history, scientists have often relied on meticulous illustrations and collaborated with artists in fields such as medicine or botany to depict their discoveries. However, the accuracy of old landscape paintings, created without scientific intent, remains uncertain.
Forest health expert David Shaw, who participated in the study, stated, “The key to utilizing historical landscape paintings lies in employing both objective scientific assessment and historical art techniques present in the painting to confirm that the artist indeed portrayed nature faithfully.” This study attempted to ascertain whether this was achieved or not.
This is where art historians come into the picture. The study focused on one specific artist – Asher Durand.
Durand was a prominent member of the Hudson River School, a group of artists who depicted New England landscapes during the mid-nineteenth century. The collective was deeply connected to nature and expressed concerns about the impact of technological advancements on the environment.
In order to determine whether Durand’s work could serve as a valid source of historical ecological information regarding nineteenth-century forests, the interdisciplinary team of art scholars and ecologists developed four key questions: Did the artist personally and formally observe the landscape they depicted? Did they possess an understanding of ecology? What was the context in which the artwork was created? What biases, if any, did the artist hold while producing the piece?
Durand satisfied all these criteria. Evidence indicates that Durand possessed a profound awareness of the natural world and advised fellow artists to meticulously study nature if they wished to faithfully represent it. He advocated for careful observation and insisted on incorporating accurate details that portrayed the world as it truly existed.
Consequently, in the areas Durand painted, his artwork can serve as additional evidence of what the forests looked like during the nineteenth century.
Moreover, the questions formulated by the researchers can serve as a framework to evaluate other artists and their paintings. It outlines a series of steps that can foster further collaborations between ecologists and art historians.
“By bringing together collaborators from diverse disciplines, we deepen our understanding of how historical artifacts comment on ecological concerns,” noted Eleanor Harvey of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, in conversation with OSU.
Therefore, it is highly likely that we will witness an increased presence of art historians in ecological research in the coming years.
