Rachel
When explorers first landed in the New World, many were taken aback by the strange species of plants and animals they encountered. In the 14th and 15th centuries, “mythical tales of monsters and paradises” circulated Europe and were what explorers drew upon to explain their adventures (Pohl). As European artists journeyed to the North American continent, they viewed the landscape differently than the colonists, mostly due to their artistic training and “presumptions about how the exterior world appeared to the human eye” (Pohl). Within these drastic differences developed very distinct perceptions: “the development of one-point perspective in the 15th century in Europe positioned the human viewer as the center of the world, as the originator of meaning, … [but in the] art of indigenous peoples, human and animals and their surroundings are viewed as if from above” with no discernible definitions between them, as the American Indians viewed all life forms on an equal plane (Pohl). These contradictory notions appear strongly in the early works of the Romantic period, especially from European artists and early indigenous art. Romanticism emerged as a response to the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, focusing instead on emotion and spontaneity while rejecting order and rationality; but as Romanticism eventually trickled down to America, it transformed from the rebellious chaos into an era for artists to develop their individual expressions.
In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase facilitated a huge explosion in Romanticism, as the previously unexplored western territory suddenly opened up and the spirit of adventure once again struck Americans. As well as capturing the new landscape before them, the Romantic Movement also allowed Americans to explore their spirituality and morality through art. As surveyors and curious Americans explored the new territory they encountered more Native American tribes, and through the perception of their treatment, the “relationships between humans and those supernatural beings that helped them understand or come to terms with the joys and hardships they encountered” (Pohl) were called into question. These views were expressed in landscape paintings, and most were either “shown devoid of human presence [or were] a backdrop for the industrious actions of farmers and merchants” (Pohl). Examples of these styles appear in the photograph of the Haida village in British Columbia, taken in 1878, and Thomas Cole’s The Course of the Empire: Consummation. The themes of desolation and vitality, both with a strong emphasis on the landscape and its influence, appear continuously throughout the Romantic era, as a direct commentary of the emotions and opinions of Americans.
As Romanticism grew in America, the population did too, and with this growth arose artists who “attempted to formulate an image of nationhood that accommodated religious, scientific, and commercial concerns, that celebrated God’s wonders while at the same time promoting the expropriation and exploitation of the land crucial to the expansionist plans of America’s political and industrial elite” (Pohl). The ideas that artists endeavored to convey were immense, and often the religious connotations failed to appear as strongly, shrouded instead by the magnificent and sweeping landscapes and the general dismissal of organized religion during this period. A typical painting during this era is John Trumbull’s Niagara Falls from an Upper Bank on the British Side. It features a broad landscape, gradual change of light in the sky, figures dwarfed by perspective as well as the nature that surrounds them, expressive but refined details, and last but certainly not the least, a depiction of water and its movement. These specific criteria produce a noticeably distinct style, one that instills a sense of hope and spiritual connectivity in the viewer which ultimately fosters a deep appreciation for the awe-inspiring beauty that is America.
While American Romanticism still upheld a vast majority of the ideals from Europe, American artists transformed the movement from simple disorder into greatly refined commentaries on their beautiful country. But behind the stark beauty dwelled the passions and desires of the artists; Romanticism was very much the movement where the art itself was the extension of the artist, and the chaos within the piece was the chaos within their soul. As one of the most definitive periods for American art, Romanticism altered the nation, facilitating development of emotions and perceptions rather than logic and calculations.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Images Cited
Art History Final. 2012. StudyBlueWeb. 14 Nov 2012. <http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/art-history-final/deck/2899206>.
Birker, Ingrid. Faculty of Science. N.d. McGill Blogs. Web. 14 Nov 2012. <http://blogs.mcgill.ca/science/2011/03/30/george-mercer-dawson-whats-in-a-name/>.
Thomas Cole. 2012. Wikipedia. Web. 14 Nov 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Course_of_Empire_Consummation_Thomas_Cole_1835_1836.jpeg>.
When explorers first landed in the New World, many were taken aback by the strange species of plants and animals they encountered. In the 14th and 15th centuries, “mythical tales of monsters and paradises” circulated Europe and were what explorers drew upon to explain their adventures (Pohl). As European artists journeyed to the North American continent, they viewed the landscape differently than the colonists, mostly due to their artistic training and “presumptions about how the exterior world appeared to the human eye” (Pohl). Within these drastic differences developed very distinct perceptions: “the development of one-point perspective in the 15th century in Europe positioned the human viewer as the center of the world, as the originator of meaning, … [but in the] art of indigenous peoples, human and animals and their surroundings are viewed as if from above” with no discernible definitions between them, as the American Indians viewed all life forms on an equal plane (Pohl). These contradictory notions appear strongly in the early works of the Romantic period, especially from European artists and early indigenous art. Romanticism emerged as a response to the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, focusing instead on emotion and spontaneity while rejecting order and rationality; but as Romanticism eventually trickled down to America, it transformed from the rebellious chaos into an era for artists to develop their individual expressions.
In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase facilitated a huge explosion in Romanticism, as the previously unexplored western territory suddenly opened up and the spirit of adventure once again struck Americans. As well as capturing the new landscape before them, the Romantic Movement also allowed Americans to explore their spirituality and morality through art. As surveyors and curious Americans explored the new territory they encountered more Native American tribes, and through the perception of their treatment, the “relationships between humans and those supernatural beings that helped them understand or come to terms with the joys and hardships they encountered” (Pohl) were called into question. These views were expressed in landscape paintings, and most were either “shown devoid of human presence [or were] a backdrop for the industrious actions of farmers and merchants” (Pohl). Examples of these styles appear in the photograph of the Haida village in British Columbia, taken in 1878, and Thomas Cole’s The Course of the Empire: Consummation. The themes of desolation and vitality, both with a strong emphasis on the landscape and its influence, appear continuously throughout the Romantic era, as a direct commentary of the emotions and opinions of Americans.
As Romanticism grew in America, the population did too, and with this growth arose artists who “attempted to formulate an image of nationhood that accommodated religious, scientific, and commercial concerns, that celebrated God’s wonders while at the same time promoting the expropriation and exploitation of the land crucial to the expansionist plans of America’s political and industrial elite” (Pohl). The ideas that artists endeavored to convey were immense, and often the religious connotations failed to appear as strongly, shrouded instead by the magnificent and sweeping landscapes and the general dismissal of organized religion during this period. A typical painting during this era is John Trumbull’s Niagara Falls from an Upper Bank on the British Side. It features a broad landscape, gradual change of light in the sky, figures dwarfed by perspective as well as the nature that surrounds them, expressive but refined details, and last but certainly not the least, a depiction of water and its movement. These specific criteria produce a noticeably distinct style, one that instills a sense of hope and spiritual connectivity in the viewer which ultimately fosters a deep appreciation for the awe-inspiring beauty that is America.
While American Romanticism still upheld a vast majority of the ideals from Europe, American artists transformed the movement from simple disorder into greatly refined commentaries on their beautiful country. But behind the stark beauty dwelled the passions and desires of the artists; Romanticism was very much the movement where the art itself was the extension of the artist, and the chaos within the piece was the chaos within their soul. As one of the most definitive periods for American art, Romanticism altered the nation, facilitating development of emotions and perceptions rather than logic and calculations.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Images Cited
Art History Final. 2012. StudyBlueWeb. 14 Nov 2012. <http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/art-history-final/deck/2899206>.
Birker, Ingrid. Faculty of Science. N.d. McGill Blogs. Web. 14 Nov 2012. <http://blogs.mcgill.ca/science/2011/03/30/george-mercer-dawson-whats-in-a-name/>.
Thomas Cole. 2012. Wikipedia. Web. 14 Nov 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Course_of_Empire_Consummation_Thomas_Cole_1835_1836.jpeg>.