Land Icon Nation

During the 1800s, artists journeyed through the Americas, transforming their views of the land into romanticized landscape imagery while projecting the hopes and values of European settlers onto newly occupied territories. They responded to the distinctive topographies of the hemisphere, creating images that would come to represent different regions.

These works became iconic as they circulated throughout the Americas, Britain and Europe on popular tours and as reproductions. The sense of wonder and openness they captured encouraged settlement and investment in the Americas. These are not neutral images; they reflected the politics and practices of the time and helped to shape national identities.