Alexander von Humboldt and the United States (mobile)

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Renowned Prussian naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt was one of the most influential figures of the nineteenth century. He lived to his 90th year, published more than 36 books, traveled across four continents, and wrote well over 25,000 letters to an international network of colleagues and admirers.

In 1804, after traveling for four years in South America and Mexico, Humboldt spent exactly six weeks in the United States. In these six weeks, Humboldt—through a series of lively exchanges of ideas about the arts, science, politics, and exploration with influential figures such as President Thomas Jefferson and artist Charles Willson Peale—shaped American perceptions of nature and the way American cultural identity became grounded in our relationship with the environment.

This exhibition is the first to examine Humboldt's impact on five spheres of American cultural development: the visual arts, sciences, literature, politics, and exploration, between 1804 and 1903. It centers on the fine arts as a lens through which we can understand how deeply intertwined Humboldt’s ideas were with America’s emerging identity. The exhibition includes more than 100 paintings, sculptures, maps, and artifacts as well as a video introduction to Humboldt and his connections to the Smithsonian through an array of current projects and initiatives.

One of Alexander von Humboldt’s animating desires was to understand the connections between our lives and the state of our planet. It is also his enduring legacy. He insisted that we consider the effect of human activity on the weather, terrain, and the viability of other species. Humboldt wrote of “mankind’s mischief . . . which disturbs nature’s order.” Humboldt’s observations, his data, and his books allow us to recognize his fingerprints on so many of the environmentally aware and ecocritical concerns of our time.

We need only look back to Humboldt’s Naturgemälde — his Picture of Nature—to see art and science, word and image, brought together as coeval aspects of nature enabling us to envision the planet as Humboldt described it: “one great whole, animated by the breath of life.” He found excitement in his exploration of nature and believed aesthetic inspiration was as important as scientific evidence in understanding and celebrating all aspects of this planet. We would do well to rediscover Humboldt for ourselves, experiencing his joy in each discovery, finding renewed energy in each question or conundrum, and committing to understanding how that knowledge can inform our lives, inflect our culture, and enhance our stewardship of our world.

This virtual exhibition only scratches the surface. Explore the links below to get a behind the scenes look at the exhibition and learn about the other items on display.

Take another deep dive into Humboldt’s connections to the United States on the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s  web page  for this exhibition. There you will find exhibition videos, recordings of online webinars and Humboldt-related programs, and links to articles, blog posts, and press coverage of the exhibition. Don’t miss the time-lapse video of the installation of the mastodon!