Well, a few weeks back I got to see the Cropsey on loan to the Brandywine Museum of Art.

Autumn at the Ramapo Valley, Erie Railway was commissioned by Irish/American railway investor James McHenry, who lived most of his life in London. The painting remained in England since it was painted in 1873, but has now returned to the States, thanks to J.Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox and their Foundation for American Art.

I am not a huge fan of Cropsey’s work, but I was Cropsey curious. While his paintings are full of light, I usually find his color a little too saturated and sweet to the point that he doesn’t describe light and air as well as the hands of other Hudson River School painters. I always want a little more out of a Cropsey. Of course, it is easy for me to stand in judgement. Would I, or could I have done better? What is better? This was partially why I wanted to see the painting. I wanted to let go of my judgement. I wanted to simply experience Cropsey’s painted world, to see Cropsey differently. The scale of this painting was also of interest to me, being roughly 38 × 68 inches, it was the largest Cropsey I have seen to date.

I was pleasantly surprised by Autumn in the Ramapo Valley. Cropsey detailed all the key Hudson River trademarks, from the foreground shadow to the sign of industry encroaching on untouched nature. Being commissioned for the owner of the Erie Railway it had to have a train in it, but this was slyly placed directly in the middle, plowing through the valley, with its plume of steam puffing into the air. The sound of a babbling brook was interrupted by the rumble of the train’s approach. Sound emanating from the painting! This is a classic example of a Hudson River School painting and it was a pleasure to see it. Without the context of several major Hudson River School works around it, only being surrounded by lesser known 19th century paintings by Wlliam Trost Richards, Martin Johnson Heade, among others, it put Cropsey and American landscape painting in a new light. Seeing this small gathering of work, with Wyeth in the next room, I began to rethink American landscape painting and my place in it. It was definitely worth the visit and I recommend it if you find yourself in the Philadelphia region.

Image and detail: Jasper Francis Crospey (1823–1900), Autumn in the Ramapo Valley, Erie Railway, 1873, oil on canvas, 38⅝ x 68⅛ in. J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Foundation for American Art photographed by the author.