The Hudson River School is a famous, loosely defined group of artists from the mid-19th Century who were inspired by the Romantic movement as well as the natural beauty of the Hudson River, Catskill Mountains and other parts of the American Northeast. Thomas Cole, Asher Durand and Frederick Church are among the best known artists of this movement. Their paintings are vast, romanticized depictions of an earlier time in American history, when the natural landscape was not overshadowed by modern civilization. Of course, not everyone admires this style. To some, the romanticized view of nature is seen as artificial or even elitist. In any event, the artists of the hudson river school will always have a significant and influential role in the history of American art.