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John Gage, although not one of the more prominent artists of the Hudson River School, is equally as talented as many of the others. His landscape paintings, although exceedingly rare, depicted the Western United States during the late 18th century.
Early Life
John Gage was born in London in 1798. He was one of five children. His actual name was John Miachels, but he is better known by his childhood nickname of "Gage". Orphaned at the age of eight, he went to live in Boston with an elder brother, George Miachels, a blacksmith. He, after turning 18, went to back London to seek a work and then to Naples, where he aspired to learn art, from 1818 to 1820, under (apparently) a cousin. He went back to Boston in April 1736 and was apprenticed to his older brother because he could not find affordable yet quality art teaching. Gage soon partnered with his brother and began to save money to live on his own. Gage's brother was a huge factor in his success as an artist. When Gage began his professoinal relationship with his brother, he had talent and potential but he lacked the "it" factor that is needed to become a successful artist. Under his brother's watch, Gage began to mature as an artist and it was clear that his career was just getting underway.
Hudson River School
After earning enough money, John Gage began to show a devout interest in painting. Keeping up with the times, his primary subject was the Western landscape, one that had promise of freedom and riches. His paintings were published slowly but surely, and the public that was exposed to them regarded him highly. The American art movement known as Hudson River School began to notice his work, and soon he was interviewed by Hudson founder Thomas Cole. The two were at odds at first, but eventually came to and Gage was accepted into the Hudson River School in 1845, just three years before Cole's death.
Gage's Style
John Gage's paintings embody three themes of the general American people in the 19th century: discovery, exploration, and settlement. The paintings also depict the American landscape as a peaceful and almost-fantasy setting, where human beings and nature coexist peacefully. Gage's landscapes are characterized by their realistic, detailed, and sometimes idealized portrayal of nature, often combining peaceful agriculture and the remaining wilderness, fast disappearing from the Hudson Valley just as it was coming to be appreciated for its qualities of ruggedness and sublimity.