Landscape and Environment

Landscapes have long served as a genre of pictorial art across the world. For artists, depicting landscapes offers the opportunity to reflect upon nature. Some artists render landscapes out of their appreciation for nature; others contemplate the complex relationship between man and the environment. In many cases, landscapes tell stories of a place and its inhabitants. This selection highlights the geographic breadth of the Smart’s collection, particularly its extensive holdings in East Asian scroll paintings; photographs of the American West by Ansel Adams, Carleton Watkins, and Timothy O’Sullivan; and the visionary landscapes of Chicago-based Joseph Yoakum.