The White Mountains, nestled serenely in the middle of New Hampshire, have been inspiring visitors for hundreds of years. A favorite subject of painters from the nineteenth century and an often revisited landmark for today's artists, the majestic beauty of the landscape is captured within the pages of Visions in Granite. This carefully selected collection of paintings takes readers on a tour through the historical and contemporary representations of the White Mountains, showcasing work by some of the most prominent landscape artists of the past two centuries. By pairing the paintings of yesterday and today, Visions in Granite reveals the influence that nineteenth-century painters have had on their contemporary counterparts. While some of today's artists chose to continue a dialogue that began with their predecessors, others have pushed their work into new territory by incorporating the ideas of modernism and abstraction. Visions in Granite is a tribute to a region that has arrested the imagination of many and to the artists who have captured that beauty for others to enjoy.

Robert L. McGrath is professor of Art History at Dartmouth College. As a specialist in American art, he has published widely in the field, including his recent book, Gods in Granite and several essays on landscape paintings in New England and New York. He lectures frequently throughout New England and serves as a consultant on art and nature for the Nationial Parks Service. He has curated exhibitions for the Adirondack Museum, the Old Forge Arts Center, and the Hood Museum of Art and is currently planning an exhibition on art of the White Mountains at the Currier Gallery of Art.