John Frederick Kensett

John Frederick Kensett, trained in the art of engraving by his father, became an exceptional draftsman who could also render fine modulations of tone. During seven years of study in Germany, he applied these abilities to landscape paintings that were praised by American critics for their clarity of detail and atmospheric purity. Back on native soil, Kensett traveled up the Hudson River and as far west as Colorado in search of unspoiled vistas. In Lake George, Tongue Mountain, his meticulous drawing is balanced by an absence of extraneous distractions, offering viewers a personal, tranquil encounter with nature.

Born in Connecticut, Kensett learned the skill of engraving from his father. Through this training he not only became an exceptional draftsman, but also learned to render fine modulations of tone. After seven years of study abroad in Germany, he developed the ability to depict landscape paintings of exquisite and precise tonal range. After his return from Europe, Kensett’s views won acclaim from American critics who were moved by their clarity of detail and atmospheric purity. Like other Hudson River School painters, he embraced his native landscape, making several trips to the American West. His later works, including Lake George, Tongue Mountain, filter out distraction and seem to represent a personal, tranquil encounter with nature. This painting was acquired in 1873 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, RISD’s founder, at a sale following Kensett’s death. It was later given to the Museum by the wife of her son, U. S. Senator Jesse H. Metcalf.