I never fail to agree with the idea of author because art, itself abstract, is difficult to make a clear definition, as it has infinite understanding that is no right or wrong, but I want to express my understanding specifically. My definition of art for landscape painting especially, is that it should emphasize on observing the beauty of the nature scenery and objects, and simultaneously, expressing the combination of understanding, ideals and emotions of the aesthetic subject. Although the painter has the freedom to create their own technique of painting, what they depict must be authentic and conform to visual reality. From spiritual level, landscape paintings always present local culture, contemporary life style of people, social atmosphere, historical background, humans desire to the nature, painters or protagonists emotion and situation expressed through the painting and the relationship between human and nature. Landscape painting can also depict the architectural style sometimes, and represent the painting style and peoples pursue to art at that time.
The first painting is called European Scene with Stone Bridge [Fig ] by Joseph Hidley in the 860s, picture from Albany Institute of History and Art. As the name suggests, the painting depicts the scenery of Europe that contains a remarkable stone bridge in the middle, a large body of
water (seems like creek afflux into a big lake) as the main background, two people (maybe knights or cavaliers) on the horses facing with each other at one side of the bridge. On the far sides are romanticized castles that represent typical European style of castle. Details are also delineated quite elaborately, such as large groups of clouds in the sky blew by wind unregularly, image of castles in the water, small stones and ducks staying in the creek, the flowing stream under the bridge and how it rushed downwards to hit the stones. This painting accords with my definition of art about the authenticity of the content. We can find that images of objects, shape of the clouds, direction of the waterflow all satisfy natural phenomena. The painting also represents contemporary culture and humanity by its appearance of castles and people on the horses that corresponds with the European Scene, because castles are very common in Europe, they do symbolize nobleness, wealth and places where nobility live, but their popularity among rustic areas make castles symbols when depicting European culture on the painting. The stone bridge which is the theme of the painting, also evokes peoples association with European style. The position of the bridge suggests its function in the painting that serves as the backbone of the print which makes it more vivid.