Study, North Conway, New Hampshire, 1851 (oil on canvas)

Unlike the pristine wilderness depicted by many of his contemporaries, Johnson recorded the complexity of nature in his paintings. Sharp-edged boulders and crooked trees jut out from the landscape, creating an impenetrable and unwelcoming mood which contrasts the serene and inviting forest interiors of Albert Bierstadt. Johnson visited New Hampshire for the first time in 1851 and was inspired by the rocks' varied shapes and textures. The close attention to detail in this work is typical of Johnson and other artists who sought the underlying truths of nature through careful observation of the landscape.