American Art 1800s

What shaped art in the new nation?

The revolution was over; the Constitution was ratified New settlers had confidence in their own free will Common sense was needed and know-how to improvise Pioneers had to be practical There was the ever-protective presence of a forbearing God.

Art reflected this trend toward realism.

Many artists were self-taught; they could not afford the costly travel to Europe to study with the masters

Nature in the new world was rich, pure and imposing The wilderness had majestic grandeur, enormous forests, high mountain ranges, and immense plains The light was clear and dazzling There were vivid colors and sharp contrasts

Romanticism evolves Seeing nature as a reflection of all things divine Landscapes become a manifestation of God’s greatness

Also Still Life portrays simplicity and serenity

Trompe l’oeil

Portraiture - pays There was much patriotism and nationalism in the new country

John Singleton Copley Boy with a Squirrel Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin Watson and the Shark 1778

Charles Wilson Peale Staircase Group 1795 The Artist in his Museum The Peale family

Gilbert Stuart George Washington Dollar bill

John Trumbull The Declaration of Independence

Thomas Sully The Torn Hat

Human figures become small compared to the grandness of the surrounding landscape. Moonlight or sunlight could add a touch of mystery and fantasy

Hudson River Valley Paintings

Thomas Cole Scene from the Last of the Mohicans The Falls of Katerskill 1826

Asher Brown Durand Luminism light subtle tones The Beeches Kindred Spirits 1849

Frederick Church Heart of the Andes

Thomas Moran Grand Canyon of the Colorado River 1892 and 1902

Fitz Hugh Lane

Martin Johnson Heade

Jasper Cropsey

Albert Bierstadt The Lander’s Peak Oregon Trail Donner Lake

John Vanderlyn

Washington Allston Landscape with a Lake

Edward Hicks Noah’s Ark 1846

John James Audubon documentary realism Farmyard Fowl Bald Eagle

As the west is conquered, tree felling and large-scale mining exploitation damage the landscape Many became rich so they could purchase paintings of the landscapes they had destroyed. Such as, the old rural way of life for a trapper, cowboys, explorers, and the west… Ecological problems recognized?

Trend towards more natural landscapes

George Inness Passing Clouds

William Trost Richards Lake Squam from Red Hill Indian Summer

Scenes of every day life were used to glorify the nation a reflection of the new democracy Sydney Mount

George Caleb Bingham Landscape with Waterwheel and a Boy Fishing The Jolly Flatboatman in Port

Eastman Johnson

Thomas Waterman Wood

Images of Native Americans and African Americans

Charles Bird King Notchimine George Caitlin Buffalo Bulls Fighting in Running Season Seth Eastman Indian Sugar Camp

Before and after the Civil War, there was a change to more powerful realism

Winslow Homer (French Manet and Monet influence) The Sharpshooter on Pickett Duty A Huntsman and Dogs 1891 The Blue Boat

Thomas Eakins more scientific naturalist, a perfect mirror of reality The Concert Singer 1890-92 The Biglin Brothers Racing The Surgical Clinic of Professor Gross 1875

Trompe d’oeil

William Michele Harnett After the Hunt 1885

John Frederick Peto Reminiscenses of 1865 Sailing 1875

William Rush carving his Allegorical figure of the Schuylkill 1876-77

Henry Ossawa Tanner Portrait of the Artist’s Mother 1897

Impressionism

William Merritt Chase

Mary Cassatt The Child’s Bat Children Playing on the Beach 1884 A Woman and a Girl Driving 1881

Frontier Art

Frederick Remington The fall of the Cowboy 1895 The Stampede

Charles Russell

The Gilded Golden Age before the turn of the century Industrial machinery, large fortunes growing

James McNeil Whistler Aesthetic Movement At the Piano Purple and Rose:1864

John Singer Sargent Portrait of Madame X 1882 – 84

George Inness The Lackawanna Valley 1855

Choose 3 paintings from the list: a portrait, a landscape (Hudson River), and a more natural landscape or impressionist painting. In your Sketchbook, sketch 3 paintings and annotate with a brief description of the author’s style and influence. Reflect on what you see in the painting as well? What do you see and think about?