Kensett, John

Kensett, John (Frederick) (1816–72) painter; born in Cheshire, Conn. (son of Thomas Kensett). He began his career as an engraver, printing maps and banknotes in New York City. In 1840 he traveled in Europe with Asher B. Durand and Benjamin Champney, among others, and returned to New York in 1847. From then on he painted the detailed and luminous landscapes that made him a leader of the Hudson River school from 1850–70, as seen in Lake George (1869).