Characteristics of Gaze at Nature Reflected in 19th Century Landscape Paintings of the United States and the Relationship Between Them and National Parks

Abstract

The paper makes clear the characteristics of gaze at nature reflected in the landscape paintings of the U.S.A. in the 19th century, and considers that similar gaze at nature had an influence on the generation of national parks of the U. S. A. The analyses of the landscape paintings are done from the points of the characteristics of drawing objects, the art history of the U. S. A., the differences from European landscape paintings, and the thought affecting the landscape paintings. Through these analyses, the paper shows that the characteristics of gaze at nature consisted of the inclination to the landscape of grand wilderness, the panoramic view, the thought of the sublime and pantheism. It recognizes similar characteristics of gaze at nature in national parks of the U. S. A. through analyses of them. Then, it proves that landscape view particular to the U. S. A.-gaze at nature-generated peculiar landscape paintings and national parks in the U. S. A. in the 19th century.