John Hafen (Swiss-born American, Utah, 1856–1910) Spring Landscape Oil on board 9 × 13 in.
In Spring Landscape, John Hafen presents a quiet moment of seasonal renewal, focusing on low, rolling terrain animated by new growth. Soft greens and pale blues describe fields just beginning to awaken, while loose, rhythmic brushwork conveys the movement of wind and light across the land. The modest scale and intimate viewpoint suggest a direct response to nature, emphasizing atmosphere and mood over specific geographic detail.
Hafen was a central figure in early Utah and American Impressionism. Trained in Paris at the Académie Julian as part of the LDS Church–sponsored group of “art missionaries,” he absorbed French Impressionist approaches to light and color before returning to Utah. There, he applied these methods to local landscapes, helping shape a regional visual language that balanced European training with the American West. Small studies like this reflect Hafen’s commitment to observing nature closely and capturing its transient beauty.
