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Washington Crossing the Delaware
by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
Leutze, a German immigrant, created this image to rally supporters of the failing German revolution by reminding them of this crossroads moment in American history --> practical immediate meaning.
To Americans, the face of Washington was the most important & it found mass appeal. Image of Washington was heroic, but showed security and restraint --> a leader people could rally around in turmoil. Multicultural boatsmen were intentional to show the many sides of the effort. |
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| Hudson River School of Painting |
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| School of artists including early landscape painters. Painters used landscape to think about what America stood for, created symbolic images. |
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Founder of American landscape painting. English immigrant, came to US at age 17 and studied painting at PAFA. Cole realized settlement was necessary but worried it would taint the raw beauty of nature.
He appreciated the sublime in nature, the beauty of terror/awe, high contrast, vastness, figures occupying dangerous places |
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Kindred Spirits
by Asher Durand, 1848
Portrait of Thomas Cole and poet William Bryant in the Catskills. Scenery is actually a composite of two different Catskills locales. Painting was commissioned by one of Cole's patrons after his death. Waterfall is a nod to an image Cole liked--> unceasingly changing yet constant. |
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The Course of Empire
by Thomas Cole, 1838
Shown at the NY Historical Society
Five images that represent that cycle of power and how human progress is at odds with nature's course. Popular with federalist aristocracy in decline, but not with Hudson River School at large. |
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Course of Empire #1: Savage/primitive state
Raw, primitive, and native-populated. Sublime like typical Cole landscape painting. Flashing contrast and lots of motion to show nature springing from chaos. |
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Course of Empire #2: Arcadian or pastoral state
Pastoral imagery, Shepard w/ flock --> religious
Classical images: philosopher like Euclides, music & dancing, Pan-like figure
Early civilization |
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Course of Empire #3: consummation of Empire
nature obliterated in place of human culture, complete & total presence of human environment. EXCESS. |
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Course of Empire #4: Destruction
Nature & culture erupt as empire self-destructs, showing human violence. Crumbling manmade structures, but there's a light in the distance. |
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Course of Empire #5: Reclamation of land by nature
Overgrown ruins...human beings must be eliminated to regenerate. In the end, nature prevails. |
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Niagara
By Frederic Edwin Church, 1857
Corcoran/Natl Gallery
Acclaimed as a massive triumph and traveled around country being shown for .25. Went to the the World Fair in Paris and was promoted as a great national American work. The French liked it & said, "The Americans have arrived." |
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Painter's Triumph (Artist Showing His Work)
William Sidney Mount, 1838
Interested in classical Roman-Greco tradition but chose American subjects
disagreement over interpretation of class divide. Possibly he created it with the dual meaning in mind.
Democratic --> popular to ordinary man. |
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Prisoners from the Front
by Winslow Homer, 1866
Metropolitan Museum of Art
depicts Union officer capturing Confederate prisoners during the Civil War. Ruminating on the relations b/w North and South post-war.
Like Mount, Homer painted countrypeople, representing many diff. ages and aesthetics. |
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A Visit from the Old Mistress
by Winslow Homer, 1876
Smithsonian AAM
Showed different (slightly more equitable) social order for post-Civil War era. Black subjects not deferential, white mistress not superior. Not using black subjects for humor. |
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self-portrait by Charles Wilson Peale
1822
PAFA (CWP is one of the founders)
CWP himself as gatekeeper of Enlightenment ideals
Model citizens in back, aristocratic, well-heeled
Red curtain - exclusive, showmanship, ad for museum
S-shape |
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| Penn's Treaty with the Indians |
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Benjamin West
1772
PAFA
Penn trading bolt of cotton w/ natives
allegorical: light side = water + colonists. dark side = trees + natives
neo-classical frieze composition - peaceful |
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painting by John Singleton Copley
1768
Reflective of Paul Revere's occupation as a silversmith, master of the craft |
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Paul Revere
1770
hand-colored by Christian Remick
depicts Boston Massacre, propaganda against British soldiers, who look like they are killing defenseless American citizens
widely reproduced, but Paul Revere copied print from half-brother |
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