Asher B. Durand

Asher B. Durand was an American engraver and Hudson River School painter. Like his Hudson River School peers (including Thomas Cole and Frederic Remington), Durand believed nature was the closest connection to God and therefore strove to render nature with as much accuracy and realism as possible. Durand was especially skilled at painting detailed trees and rocks, and was known for frequent hiking expeditions along the Catskills and Adirondacks where he sketched and painted.