Erik Koeppel (born 1980) is an American landscape painter renowned for his revival of the techniques and aesthetic philosophy of the Hudson River School. Born in Oregon, Koeppel spent his formative years moving with his family across some of North America’s most majestic landscapes, from the Rocky Mountains and Southern California to the Appalachians. This itinerant childhood kindled in him a profound love for nature, which became the central source of inspiration in his artistic practice.
Koeppel received formal training at the Rhode Island School of Design and the New York Academy of Art, supplementing his education with extensive study of the Italian Masters and an influential apprenticeship in Maine. He is recognized for his mastery of traditional plein air methods, producing luminous and poetic landscapes that have been exhibited and collected internationally. His work is often shown alongside historic masters such as Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer, and George Inness, attesting to his reputation as a leading contemporary keeper of nineteenth-century traditions. Publications like American Artist and PleinAir Magazine have celebrated his impact in helping to renew interest in the Hudson River School among contemporary audiences.