Romanticism Through Cropsey

NC Museum of Art

I have been to Colorado almost a dozen times to ski and snowboard and let me just tell you it is absolutely breath taking. Riding up a ski lift all the way from the bottom of the mountain to the top where you break through the tree line and you have everything around you in sight is like nothing else. Peering into the distance and seeing nothing but the snow-capped Rocky Mountains is something everyone should appreciate at least once. The vivid images of these magnificent wonders just never seem to leave my mind. This is what romanticism is all about. Author Edwin Berry Burgum in his book Romanticims describes Romanticism as being a "stimulus to escape from reality" and I believe this is exactly what the artists of the time period were going for. Jasper Francis Cropsey, a romantic artist, painted the piece “Eagle Cliff, Franconia Notch, New Hampshire” in 1858. Being a romantic artist consisted of using fine techniques such as color schemes and lighting to invoke a sense of rationalization and enlightenment, which were two huge themes of the time period. During the mid 1800’s, romanticism was at its peak. These artists strove to imprint landscapes in their audience’s head while explaining their purpose on a subject through their painting. Being a member of the Hudson River School, Cropsey specialized in the landscaping such as the Catskill Mountain range that stretched from Pennsylvania to Vermont and New Hampshire while also showing expansionism and homesteading in a majority of their work. In “Eagle Cliff”, Cropsey uses aspects from the groups he associates himself with to illustrate an argument surrounding romantic principles and the benefit of pursuing these ideas. He does this through his use of color scheme, dark vs. light portrayal and the homesteading landscape.

Image from Wikipedia

When you look at Cropsey’s famous painting, it's easy to see that the color green dominates the whole landscape that is portrayed. According to multiple sources, green is often referred to as the color of prosperity and affluence especially the darker hews that are dominantly seen in this piece. Think of a dollar bill. What stands out most? This dark green connection makes perfect sense with this piece because relative to the time period, the U.S had really started to grow as country economically and industrially. I noticed that it also goes along with the attitude of self sustainment such as homesteading that is clearly seen in “Eagle Cliff”. Green can be seen as something that also symbolizes all things natural but much deeper than this. With green in nature comes life and hope of a fresh start or new beginning. I believe that Cropsey is using this color to almost drug people into believing his ideas. He wants it to capture the viewer's attention right away and give them a desire to go out and be successful and make money. Its like all of those cliche commercials where you see a lonely green playing giving hope to whatever bad had occurred such as the Disney film “Wall-E.” The little robot essentially saves the human race because of a little green plant it found. Now I am by no means saying that anyone who looks at this will go out and change the world in a dramatic fashion but it does invoke a reaction of self-assurance and confidence. Hope in this time period was hard to find with the civil war brewing but romanticism gave artists like Cropsey and outlet to express themselves. Cropsey displays hope with green; hope for a better nation, for a stronger nation. He wants to show that getting away from the colorless life of the city and adventuring into the prosperous life of the wilderness is exactly what American’s should be doing to present themselves with the best life possible.


After the initial intoxication by the overwhelming amounts of green used, I then noticed the contrast between the light, left side of the portrait and the darker, more mysterious right side that also seems to enclose the cabin. Although a very effective technique, it has been around for many years and in the art world it is most appropriately referred to as chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro shows the divergence between positivity and negativity, good and evil, and right from wrong although that is a much more opinionated interpretation. I think that Cropsey takes this style and uses this to illustrate the evolution of society that America experiences during this time period. America was on the very brink of war because of large social issues mostly surrounding slavery. I think this is what the right side of the painting suggests. When you look closely at the right side, it looks very thorny; like if you touch the painting it might actually prick you. Next, I really notice that the darkness seems to partially encircle the cabin to show that the darkness is all around the light. Contrary to the darkness surrounding the cabin, the horizon is very luminous as well. It is very cliche but Cropsey could definitely be going for the “all is bright on the horizon” theme. For this image specifically, I think the light symbolizes the expansion west and north by pioneers. The 1850’s were a huge time period for family relocation and Cropsey’s involvement with romanticism shows he supports this movement. He wants to show that getting away from all the atrocities of life, which is represented by the darkness, can turn into something quite extraordinary, which is clearly being represented by the luminous cabin and farm.


In 1852 the Free Soil Party actively sought and succeeded in a federal act where the government sold federal lands for as cheap as they could without it being free. The act was called the Homestead Act. This was huge for the time period because, essentially, it allowed for people to expand and escape from eastern civilization to try and make a life for them and their family. Cropsey shows a perfect example of this in his painting with what seems to be a relatively new cabin and farm and a very large family operating it. By my count, there are 7 current members of the family and the mother looks to be pregnant as well. I really think this is key to the artist's argument of self sufficiency. To willingly take a large family, with all the children being relatively small, into the unknown takes guts to say the least but isn't that what American’s are all about? Taking a risk to try and achieve the best life? And then on top of all that he has the family living inside a one maybe two-room cabin. However unappealing this sounds when I’m writing it, Cropsey shows it in such an appealing manner that no one would ever believe the family is struggling or unhappy. Their crops are growing, they have farm animals grazing and the sun is shining and the artists shows this in such a way to depict that these simple necessities are all they need. The bigger picture is this: He wants people big or small, thin or fat, old or young to redefine themselves by relocating and living off their own hard work. This self sufficiency turned prosperity by way of hard work and family morals perfectly aligns with the Romantic Movement Cropsey tries to relay to the audience.


“Eagle Cliff” thoroughly appeals to the audience by trying to make them feel secure and self sufficient regarding the romantic principles surrounding expansion and enlightenment through Cropsey’s use of a variety of techniques but I chose three that really stood out. The green overload that was used on the landscape helps to depict a feeling of growth and prosperity and this same feeling can be seen in everyday present examples such as the dollar bill. Secondly, the artist uses a contrast of themes through the use of a light vs dark technique called chiaroscuro which helps argue the time period and why America should run away from standard civilization and pursue a life of self-sustainment. The last technique he uses comes from the scenery of the piece as a whole. This appliance of the homesteading fundamental evokes the audience to mellow out and feel a part of the situation that is unfolding. Overall, Cropsey develops and argument surrounding his involvement of different artistic groups of his age and supports these claims with his use of classic romantic techniques.

Bergum, Edwin Berry. "Romanticism." The Kenyon Review (1939-1970): A Critical History. Vol. 3. S.l.: Kenyon College, 1987. 479-90. Print.