Kensett - "Esopus Creek" - Realistic oil painting of trees on the bank of Esopus Creek in Ulster County, NY

John Kensett • American: 1816-1872

Esopus Creek (Ulster County, NY) • Oil on Masonite Board 12” x 12”

Discovery. Exploration. Settlement. Those are the three themes that Hudson River School artists set out to depict in all their landscape paintings. John Kensett put those themes to canvas, and lived them, too, leading him down the road to contentment.

Contentment Island, that is.

In search of a private painting retreat late in his career, the ever-adventurous Kensett might have just thrown a dart at a map when he chose Contentment Island as his destination. With little known at the time about this area just off the coast of Connecticut, Kensett asked friend and fellow artist Vincent Colyer to join him for an impromptu excursion.

What they found was a landscaper’s paradise. Sparkling blue waters and sheltered coves. Thick woods, streams, and marshland. Kensett and Colyer had seen enough. They were sold.

The two built a home and studio on the island overlooking the Long Island Sound. In an interesting twist, Colyer’s wife Mary Lydia, the grand-niece of John Hancock, joined them in their new sanctuary, creating a living arrangement best suited for a sitcom. There they developed a Luminist style of painting, taking great interest in the effects of light, air and atmosphere. These were the same inspirations the Impressionists were exploring in Europe around the same time. However, the Luminists disdained the Impressionists hurried brushstrokes and flattened shapes. Instead they remained anchored to the realistic style.

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The Colyers and Kensett continued to live a contented life on Contentment Island, until the fateful day when 56-year-old Kensett made a fateful split-second decision.

In late October of 1872, Mary Lydia was returning to the island on horse and carriage, when high tides washed over the bridge. Her horse bolted and the carriage tumbled into the water. Kensett saw it all from a window in their home and raced to the scene. He jumped into the frigid water to save her, but was unable to retrieve her body.

Kensett came down with pneumonia for his efforts and died three months later, but not before creating a collection of art that is considered the finest of his career. He was working on a series of landscape paintings of the Long Island Sound. When Kensett died, his brother discovered the artwork in his home and donated them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Fittingly, the 38-piece collection has been titled Last Summer’s Work. Although there is debate over whether these paintings were finished products, those who view them are filled with feelings of contentment, just as John Kensett would have wanted.

Canton Museum of Art Permanent Collection • Purchased by the Canton Museum of Art 45.3

4 Ways to Sound Smart When Viewing at The Canton Museum of Art

1.
“John Kensett was a member of the second generation of Hudson River School artists, a group also known as Luminists, who were sort of the realistic mirror image of Europe’s Impressionists.”

2.
“He spent his early years working with his father as an engraver before traveling to Europe to train as a landscape painter.”

3.
“Kensett helped organize an art exhibit in New York during the Civil War to raise money for medical supplies and also was a founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

4.
“When Kensett and his friends settled in Contentment Island, they built a house. Today, the average listing price for a home there is $4 million. Timing is everything.”

Kensett Timeline. Scroll over images to see timeline.

1816

Born in Cheshire, Connecticut, to an English immigrant father and a mother. His father was a successful engraver who owned a firm in New Haven.

1824

Studied at the Cheshire Academy.

1828-1835

Kensett worked at his father’s firm as an engraver. He continued to engrave until 1835, but lost interest, preferring to paint landscapes instead.

1840

Traveled to Europe with Hudson River School artist Asher B. Durand to hone his craft.

1843

Sent some of his landscapes to the National Academy of Design in New York for exhibition.

1847

Following a painting tour that led him through England, France, Italy, and Switzerland, he returned to American.

1849

Earned the title of Academician, the highest standing at the National Academy of Design.

1851

He popularized the White Mountain region in New Hampshire with a large canvas painting titled Mount Washington from the Valley of Conway.

1850s

His artistic style began to evolve from his Hudson River School roots. He became known as a “Luminist,” taking great interest in the effects of light, air, and atmosphere.

1867

Seeking a retreat after the Civil War, he settled on Contentment Island just off the coast of Connecticut with friend and fellow artist Vincent Colyer. They built a house and studio overlooking the Long Island Sound.

1870

Helped found the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1871

Vincent Colyer opened a new studio in Darien, Connecticut, named for his dear friend John Frederick Kensett.

1872

Jumped into the Long Island Sound in an attempt to rescue Colyer’s wife Mary Lydia. He developed pneumonia and died three months later.

1873

38 paintings Kensett was working on at the time of his death were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art under the Collective title: Last Summer’s Work.