March 5 - July 14, 2019

Rockwell Kent, Clover Fields, oil on canvas, 1939-40. Gift of Mrs. Robert A. Arms in memory of Robert A. Arms (Class of 1927).

Today people across the world collectively grapple with the impact of human activity on the Earth. As we struggle to imagine landscapes of the future, it is instructive to examine the past. This exhibition presents the ways in which artists across time and geography have turned to the genre of landscape to understand the relationship among people and societies and their environments. Rendered in different media, the views and scenes encompass the American south, Norwegian mountains, the French countryside and beyond. The works offer viewers a chance to consider how nature continues to enthrall, challenge, and awe, despite the increasing threat from human action—or inaction.

Fleeting Nature: Selections from the Collection features works by Thomas Cole, Claude Monet, James McNeill Whistler, Nikolai Roerich, Andre Derain, Barbara Bosworth, and Winslow Homer among others.