NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Artwork during that Americans did were brought on by the European style of artwork. America eventually warped that style into their own personal style concerning the type of people from different cultures who had settled in America. Spanish and Indian cultures were where folk art came from. They were mainly of church and other religious focused artwork. The painting style from the English was also a hand in the definition of the nations artwork.
Also before cameras were invented an artist would come and paint a picture of its subjects. At times a single artist would paint the same family's portraits year after Towards the end of the eighteenth century the style of painting was more pointed towards romanticism that at the time was popular in Europe. Rather than the straight forwardness of the earlier years. Many of the artist that came about in the time era of the eighteenth century to eighteen eighty were fine examples of this gradual change.
Many of the artists soon to be mentioned helped with the definition of American art work during the eighteen hundreds. Such as Rembrandt Peale who was known for his originality and nature of his portraits. Rembrandt's father was Charles Willson Peale was a very successful artist also known for his portraits of famous revolutionary heroes such as George Washington; who inspired him to become a painter after many members of his family were painters. During the 1820 s he did history related paintings which would be the basis for dozens of copies in later years while also promoting art and aspiring to create an elevated national artistic expression.
In the 1850 s his art tended to be more towards repetitiveness and was rather stiff as his art headed towards a dramatic shift in tastes and Joshua Johnson, a mulatto was Americas first professional black painter. Whom bought his freedom out of slavery from the money he got from his paintings. His work stands between the academic and folk traditions in early American art. Many of which his portraits contained some of Baltimores leading families. The little that is known about Joshua is said that he was given artistic help from Charles Peale Polk, Rembrandt Peale's cousin. Another painter Jacob Eichholtz, was from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
He was much encouraged to further his career as a painter by leading portrait painters in Philadelphia. Jacobs work had a sense of bright, refined, elegance; Which seemed to be unique. John Quidor was an artist who had a Michelangelesque style to his artwork. Quidor was very much into the seventeenth century genre compositions of Adrian van Ostade.
His paintings often contained humor when he illustrated such legendary heroes and incidents from James Coopers and Washington Irving's stories. From 1851 to 1868 he concentrated more on portraits that were romantic scenes that illustrated these stories. John Quidor lived from 1801 until 1881 so he was an artist around the time of the Civil War era so in some of his portraits the team that was going on then showed in his artwork. Winslow Homer was known more for his pieces during the nineteenth century but began his career as an artist in 1854 by drawing sheet music illustrations for Buffords lithography.
In 1856 after spending a year in France was not influenced by the impressionism that was popular at the time in France. Instead he started doing oil paintings and submitted his civil war subjects to the National Academy in 1863 and 1869 until he got elected as an Academician. In 1873 he started painting in watercolor which he used rather extensively for the rest of his career painting such scenes as life on the farm, resorts with women of fashion included in them and children who were playing. This is one of Homers Pictures called the Reaper. James McNeil Whistler was an artist that drew attention to his independent and expressive qualities in all of his artwork. He often painted his mistress Joanna Hefferman, and would paint her in full length portraits with carefully designed interior arrangements.
James was a very successful etcher producing over five hundred landscapes, This portrait by Fredric is called Whistlers Mother, its name pretty much One of the founders of the greatest landscaping schools, Hudson River was Thomas Cole who happened to be a spectacular painter. Many of Thomas paintings were scenes addressing the evolution of nature and nations. He was also encouraged by a fellow artist to pursue his career as a professional artist. Thomas soon became well known. Starting first as a portraitist he moved to landscapes and gained attention by more leading artists where then he begun his trek to open the Hudson River Art School. His early death cut his life as a This is Thomas Coles painting called The Consummation of Empire this explores mans conquest of nature and natures victory.
The last artist Im going to mention is Frederic Edwin Church who is recognized as Americas greatest painter prior to Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins. His mentor was Thomas Cole and was his only pupil for a few years where he picked up Thomas vision of landscape. Frederic liked to paint great wilderness sites such as the Niagara Falls. These powerful images showed Americas greatness but with the break of the Civil War it brought on images showing national apocalypse. In 1854 Frederic opened a studio in New York where he showed his landscapes. Then in 1851 he started traveling the country looking for new subject matter.
Up until the 1880 s he was a very successful painter until he was virtually forgotten. Many of these artists names lived on to be legendary and others are hardly known about but all of them and along with many, many more not mentioned were the creators of Americas own style of artwork. A big majority of the mentioned artists paintings tell the story of Americas past. Therefore the paintings can be found in the nations capitol while they narrate the nations beginning through presidents, wars and relations. So thanks to all of the artist we now can look back in the past and see what it was like rather than just having words to describe it. Like the saying says A picture is worth a thousand words they really do mean it.
Bibliography: Bibliography 1. The young readers companion to American History by John A. Garraty copyright 1994 by Houghton Mifflin Company 2. American Masterpieces from the national Gallery of Art by John Wilmerding copyright 1980 crescent Books New York, NY 3. Encarta 97 copyright 1993 - 1996 Microsoft Corporation
Free research essays on topics related to: eighteenth century, american art, hudson river, artwork, civil war
Research essay sample on Eighteenth Century Hudson River
