Landscapes as an art form started gaining popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe as they were increasingly embraced by Romantic painters. They saw landscapes as allegories full of "mythic significance" and as a reaction to the scientific advances of the era.

Meanwhile, in the United States, landscapes gained popularity in the early part of the 19th century. They represented idealized versions of unspoiled nature and embodied the belief that America was full of opportunities and prospects.