Rochester, NY — June 11, 2025 — The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) of the University of Rochester has announced the acquisition of Birch Tree beside a Woodland Path (1870), an oil painting by Julie Hart Beers (1834–1913), a pioneering American landscape painter associated with the Hudson River School. This is the first work by Beers to enter MAG’s permanent collection and represents a significant step in acknowledging the contributions of women artists to 19th-century American landscape painting.
Julie Hart Beers, one of the few commercially successful female painters of her era, studied under her brothers—James McDougal Hart and William Hart—both prominent figures in the Hudson River School movement. The newly acquired painting will join Sunset Glow – Autumn (1870) by James McDougal Hart, which is already part of the museum’s collection. Together, the works deepen MAG’s representation of the Hudson River School and open new opportunities to explore the role of women within the movement.
Though Birch Tree beside a Woodland Path is not yet on public display, it will be featured in future installations of the museum’s American Art Galleries.
About the Memorial Art Gallery:
Part of the University of Rochester, the Memorial Art Gallery presents a broad collection spanning from antiquity to contemporary works. Its offerings include the outdoor Centennial Sculpture Park, a dynamic schedule of rotating exhibitions, lectures, performances, and community events.
