Art and the Nation
1920s - 1930s

World War I poster.
Albany Institute of History & Art Library

By the end of the 19th century, interest in the Hudson River school declined. The paintings were thought to be old-fashioned and not worldly enough. But, after World War I (1914-1918), Americans found new meaning in the Hudson River school paintings for the modern age. Many saw the paintings not as spiritual pictures but as evidence of the simplicity and independence of life in the early years of this country. That past, which had led to America’s greatness, was viewed as “the good old days” — especially after the horrors of a global war. 

In addition to admiring the Hudson River school paintings, people had new respect for the Hudson River school artists themselves. In the complex society of post-war United States, the painters were viewed as self-reliant artists who had rejected European art traditions in favor of their own independent expression. America in the decade of the 1920s had become the dominant nation in the world and the Hudson River school painters and their artworks were seen as symbols of American strength, individualism, and patriotism. 


Parade, Albany NY, 1940s.
Albany Institute of History & Art Library

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An Old Man’s Reminiscences

This painting by Asher Durand was created in 1845 but was especially valued in the early 20th century for its expression of an ideal way of life. The artwork shows us a view of a rural community in early America. Children play, fishermen cast their lines, farmers bring in the hay, and a young couple enjoys a moment together. The older man in the left foreground looks out over the scene. 

What is the old man thinking about? How might this scene of rural America be considered a model or a symbol of pride for early 20th century Americans? And, why do you think some people wanted to identify with this earlier way of life?