Olivia
As American ambitions swelled, they posed a direct threat to British authority and inspired mounting tensions. Revolutionary ideals spurred by the Enlightenment thinkers of Europe only furthered colonists’ rebellious nature. The friction would ultimately culminate in a revolution that forever severed Americans from the control of the English monarch. The era’s spirit of independence colored the new nation’s future. Bourgeoning with the hope of a fresh start, artists enriched their work with this positive outlook. In a time of war, artistic impulses surfaced in common day, functional mediums, including political cartoons, architecture, and needlework. Emerging from all facets of society, new artists poured their experiences and ideals into their art.
A rebellion against England, the shaping of a new nation, and the procurement of better future rested upon the shoulders of American politicians. Essential to their success was the public’s support, especially as the democratic aims of the government were unveiled. Political cartooning quickly emerged as among the most effective mode of communication. Political theorists turned artists and artists turned political theorists alike loaded their images with metaphors conveying the need for action. Prior to the cries of war, cartoons instilled in their readers the vital importance of revolution. This was the aim of John Singleton Copley as he decried the unjust Stamp Act via his The Deplorable State of America. Envisioning England as a winged woman offering Pandora’s box, Copley implies the troubling ramifications should the colonists choose to embrace British taxation. On England’s heels drift remains of the English Magna Carta, the purity of civil liberties tarnished when they failed to be realized in the colonies. Thus, the artist encourages Americans to refuse English orders, his characters raising their arms in protest. Utilizing a Native American, distinguished by a feathered headdress, to portray the colonists’ ambitions, an emblem mirrored in similar cartoons, the artist demonstrates a deeper connection to the new land than to that of their ancestral country. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, shields the colonists from a miserable fate with her prudent words, “take it not for poor Liberty.” The print, drawing upon classical, foreign, and contemporary symbols, fuels readers with the drive to challenge the Stamp Act. The values of liberty and independence are effortlessly communicated via political cartoons, perpetuating the progress of rebellion and the spirit of a new nation.
Needlework, the pen of women, was not only celebrated as an entertaining pastime but also as a mode for disseminating one’s thoughts. Women, who, at the time, had little voice in the future of the nation, contributed to the values and ideals via their art. This stitching required endless hours and tireless work, yet it amounted to picturesque and often politically profound statements on the lives of women. Among such free thinkers was Maria Crowninshield, a young girl attending the Ladies’ Academy of Dorchester. Commenting on the limited access to education that defined a woman’s future, Crowninshield embroidered a girl absorbing a text before her teacher. Behind her, a goddess bequeaths a crown of leaves, celebrating the student’s newfound knowledge. Such an allegory represents the gifts of learning. Crowninshield adopts a neoclassical style in her work, sewing loose robes, richly gathered drapes, and classical architecture in the background. As the style draws the viewer back to an era of creative thought and pioneering discoveries, young Maria further emphasizes the beauty of thought. Via these European styles of art, a student is capable of communicating her desires for further schooling. Crowninshield hints at one of the founding ideals of the American nation, the concept of equality, by promoting women’s rights to education. Through their embroidery, women too participated in the artistic embrace of American values, depicting their dreams for the future.
As in any time, the need for physical shelter evolved into an art form. Drawing upon codified styles to express the United State’s glorified future, artists constructed structures steeped in deeper meaning. Thomas Jefferson, a founding father, evidenced his passion for classical architecture in his design work in America. His schemes were founded upon the artistic precedents set by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Exploiting traditionally classical temple styles, Jefferson built a foundation for governmental architecture in his new country. Perhaps his greatest design venture, the University of Virginia, deployed said styles. The university, arranged around a grassy plaza, boasted two parallel rows of pavilions lining the open field. These buildings accommodated both classrooms and faculty housing. Fronted by a walkway that utilized a classical colonnade, Jefferson connected each structure. Yet the rotunda at the forefront of the mall acts as focal point. This rounded building, inspired by the Pantheon, is dominated by a large, frontal portico. An emblem of classical authority, the Rotunda, housing the school’s books, demonstrates the power of “academic fellowship.” Drawing the American people back to one of the most celebrated times in man’s history, architects implied the grassroots of a new “Golden Age” were soon to bear fruit. Believing that Americans were the true inheritors of classical culture, neoclassical architecture prevailed in the New World.
Simultaneously celebrating the progress of the colonies and yearning for a better tomorrow, artists set the tone for America’s future. The images that appeared in daily life, including cartoons, embroideries, and structures, visualized the promise of independence. The work represented the liberty, equality, and justice that defined the new nation.
Works Cited
Miller, Angela, et al. American Encounters: Art, History, and Cultural Identity. London: Prentice Hall, 2008. 135 – 169.
Images Cited
Najam, Adil. “Professor Adil Najam Speaks at University of Virginia.” 30 April 2009. The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. 7 October 2012.
< http://www.bu.edu/pardee/2009/04/>.
Richter, Pula Bradstreet. “Painting and Embroidered Allegorical Picture.” 2000. Salem in History. 7 October 2012.
< http://teh.salemstate.edu/SocialChangesSocialReform/Colonial-childhood/pages/allegor ical-scene.htm>.
“Print and Photograph Department.” 2011. The Library Company of Philadelphia. 7 October 2012.
< http://www.librarycompany.org/collections/prints/40th/section2.htm>.
As American ambitions swelled, they posed a direct threat to British authority and inspired mounting tensions. Revolutionary ideals spurred by the Enlightenment thinkers of Europe only furthered colonists’ rebellious nature. The friction would ultimately culminate in a revolution that forever severed Americans from the control of the English monarch. The era’s spirit of independence colored the new nation’s future. Bourgeoning with the hope of a fresh start, artists enriched their work with this positive outlook. In a time of war, artistic impulses surfaced in common day, functional mediums, including political cartoons, architecture, and needlework. Emerging from all facets of society, new artists poured their experiences and ideals into their art.
A rebellion against England, the shaping of a new nation, and the procurement of better future rested upon the shoulders of American politicians. Essential to their success was the public’s support, especially as the democratic aims of the government were unveiled. Political cartooning quickly emerged as among the most effective mode of communication. Political theorists turned artists and artists turned political theorists alike loaded their images with metaphors conveying the need for action. Prior to the cries of war, cartoons instilled in their readers the vital importance of revolution. This was the aim of John Singleton Copley as he decried the unjust Stamp Act via his The Deplorable State of America. Envisioning England as a winged woman offering Pandora’s box, Copley implies the troubling ramifications should the colonists choose to embrace British taxation. On England’s heels drift remains of the English Magna Carta, the purity of civil liberties tarnished when they failed to be realized in the colonies. Thus, the artist encourages Americans to refuse English orders, his characters raising their arms in protest. Utilizing a Native American, distinguished by a feathered headdress, to portray the colonists’ ambitions, an emblem mirrored in similar cartoons, the artist demonstrates a deeper connection to the new land than to that of their ancestral country. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, shields the colonists from a miserable fate with her prudent words, “take it not for poor Liberty.” The print, drawing upon classical, foreign, and contemporary symbols, fuels readers with the drive to challenge the Stamp Act. The values of liberty and independence are effortlessly communicated via political cartoons, perpetuating the progress of rebellion and the spirit of a new nation.
Needlework, the pen of women, was not only celebrated as an entertaining pastime but also as a mode for disseminating one’s thoughts. Women, who, at the time, had little voice in the future of the nation, contributed to the values and ideals via their art. This stitching required endless hours and tireless work, yet it amounted to picturesque and often politically profound statements on the lives of women. Among such free thinkers was Maria Crowninshield, a young girl attending the Ladies’ Academy of Dorchester. Commenting on the limited access to education that defined a woman’s future, Crowninshield embroidered a girl absorbing a text before her teacher. Behind her, a goddess bequeaths a crown of leaves, celebrating the student’s newfound knowledge. Such an allegory represents the gifts of learning. Crowninshield adopts a neoclassical style in her work, sewing loose robes, richly gathered drapes, and classical architecture in the background. As the style draws the viewer back to an era of creative thought and pioneering discoveries, young Maria further emphasizes the beauty of thought. Via these European styles of art, a student is capable of communicating her desires for further schooling. Crowninshield hints at one of the founding ideals of the American nation, the concept of equality, by promoting women’s rights to education. Through their embroidery, women too participated in the artistic embrace of American values, depicting their dreams for the future.
As in any time, the need for physical shelter evolved into an art form. Drawing upon codified styles to express the United State’s glorified future, artists constructed structures steeped in deeper meaning. Thomas Jefferson, a founding father, evidenced his passion for classical architecture in his design work in America. His schemes were founded upon the artistic precedents set by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Exploiting traditionally classical temple styles, Jefferson built a foundation for governmental architecture in his new country. Perhaps his greatest design venture, the University of Virginia, deployed said styles. The university, arranged around a grassy plaza, boasted two parallel rows of pavilions lining the open field. These buildings accommodated both classrooms and faculty housing. Fronted by a walkway that utilized a classical colonnade, Jefferson connected each structure. Yet the rotunda at the forefront of the mall acts as focal point. This rounded building, inspired by the Pantheon, is dominated by a large, frontal portico. An emblem of classical authority, the Rotunda, housing the school’s books, demonstrates the power of “academic fellowship.” Drawing the American people back to one of the most celebrated times in man’s history, architects implied the grassroots of a new “Golden Age” were soon to bear fruit. Believing that Americans were the true inheritors of classical culture, neoclassical architecture prevailed in the New World.
Simultaneously celebrating the progress of the colonies and yearning for a better tomorrow, artists set the tone for America’s future. The images that appeared in daily life, including cartoons, embroideries, and structures, visualized the promise of independence. The work represented the liberty, equality, and justice that defined the new nation.
Works Cited
Miller, Angela, et al. American Encounters: Art, History, and Cultural Identity. London: Prentice Hall, 2008. 135 – 169.
Images Cited
Najam, Adil. “Professor Adil Najam Speaks at University of Virginia.” 30 April 2009. The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. 7 October 2012.
< http://www.bu.edu/pardee/2009/04/>.
Richter, Pula Bradstreet. “Painting and Embroidered Allegorical Picture.” 2000. Salem in History. 7 October 2012.
< http://teh.salemstate.edu/SocialChangesSocialReform/Colonial-childhood/pages/allegor ical-scene.htm>.
“Print and Photograph Department.” 2011. The Library Company of Philadelphia. 7 October 2012.
< http://www.librarycompany.org/collections/prints/40th/section2.htm>.