An Oregon State University-led collaboration of ecologists and art historians has demonstrated that landscape paintings from more than 150 years ago can advance environmental science.
"The study of past environments -- historical ecology -- has particular relevance in providing context for landscape change in the future," said Dana Warren, associate professor in OSU's College of Forestry and the study's lead author.
Researchers including Isabel Munck of the Forest Service, William Keeton of the University of Vermont and Eleanor Harvey of the Smithsonian focused on artwork produced during a 60-year period beginning in 1830."Collaboration led to a lot mutual learning, which helped us to see and understand important information recorded in these paintings," Keeton said.
Durand was a prolific and influential member of the Hudson River School and left clear records about his perspectives regarding the accurate depiction of nature, Betjemann said. Did the person who reported the observations personally make them -- i.e., did he visit the scenes he painted?What was the broader historical and ecological context surrounding his work?"Working with art historians gave us the tools to put paintings and painters in context, which then allowed us to identify the images in which we can place the greatest trust," Warren said.