Clue 2 - Anatomy to Landscapes and BEYOND!

Name That Painter!

To start on this second clue, I have to say this artist is quite interesting. His life was full of adventure. I can't wait to get to the nitty-gritty and tell ALL, my fingers want to type it in right now, but I have to do it in i-n-c-r-e-m-e-n-t-s and try ohhh try to be patient....

One thing is for sure - not all artists are so blessed to have family that encourage and support them in their artwork. This artist had both, which gave him the ability to excel in his artistic yearnings. Although this artist later devoted himself to landscape painting, his beginnings in art began with drawing, perspective, and the study of the human figure in anatomy classes. He had really planned to become a portrait painter. He even studied at the Crosby Street Medical College and the National Academy of Design in New York. But the artwork of Thomas Cole caught his eye and put a fork in the road. This proved to be a wonderful thing because it influenced him to change his path into the world of landscape painting...

By 1847, around the age of 24, he was ready to exhibit his first landscape. This experience coupled with the honors that followed, catapulted him into a life of travel and adventure (more on that to come...). He also became a leading member of the Hudson River School. This "school" was actually not a school like we may imagine, but rather a movement brought on by a group of artists whose inspiration was influenced by romanticism. The Hudson River Valley was their inspiration where they painted the valley and surrounding areas including the Catskill Mountains. Hmmmm,  you have a big batch of clues here...a slam dunk for any cool art cats out there!