Church, Frederic Edwin (1826-1900), was an American painter known for his huge, dramatic landscapes. Church traveled widely searching for subjects. He painted New York’s Catskill Mountains, the Andes Mountains of South America, the wilderness of Ecuador, the lush vegetation of Jamaica, and icebergs near Labrador. Many of Church’s paintings feature the vivid use of light, such as brilliant rainbows and fiery sunsets. Church carefully studied and sketched his subjects, using the sketches to paint large composite scenes in his studio. Church’s most famous paintings include Heart of the Andes (1859) and Icebergs (1861).
Church was born on May 4, 1826, in Hartford, Connecticut. At the age of 18, he studied with the famous American landscape artist Thomas Cole. Early in his career, Church became a leading member of the first school of American landscape painting, called the Hudson River School. His early works, like those of other members of the school, were panoramic, detailed scenes of nature. Church’s Niagara Falls (1857) is an example. He died on April 7, 1900.
