White Mountains from Shelburne, NH

John Frederick Kensett painted this peaceful view of New Hampshire's White Mountains in 1851, looking out from the town of Shelburne. A still lake stretches across the front of the scene, giving way to rolling dark hills, while a tall blue peak climbs into a soft, hazy sky. If you find the tiny figures and the little dab of red near the water's edge, they help show just how enormous the surrounding landscape really is.

Kensett belonged to the Hudson River School, a group of American painters drawn to the wild beauty of their young country. His real strength was capturing light and open air, which shows in the gentle way the mountains dissolve into the distance. He tended to skip stormy drama and thundering waterfalls in favor of quiet moments like this one. The painting does not demand your attention so much as it settles in and stays with you.