Art: American Art is Amazing

Through the centuries Americans have created some of the world’s most amazing art.

I will present some of it here and let these magnificent artworks speak for themselves, since no words can do them sufficient justice.

From Native Americans who created petroglyphs,

ancient rock carvings,

magnificent feats of architecture,

artistically decorated homes,

fabulous fashion statements,

accessories,

extraordinary hairstyles,

which might have influenced Princess Leia’s look in the movie Star Wars: A New Hope,

basket weaving,

ceramics,

sandpaintings,

masks,

carvings,

to whatever this is…

…not to mention the performing arts like dances and music, but I will deal with indigenous art in more detail in another article.

For now I just want to give a flavor of the rich art history of the North American continent from which the world continues to benefit and take its cue. To this very day America is the trend-setter, whether in films or fashion, foods or fads, from Hollywood to Harlem, and it all started with the Native Americans, followed by the first intrepid explorers and courageous colonists.

From the start American art was independent, forward looking, innovative, and sometimes, a little rebellious.

One of the first explorer-artists was John White, who came to America with Richard Grenville around 1585 and served as governor of the hundred colonists who tried to establish an English colony on Roanoke Island in 1587.

White made beautiful sketches of the locals,

depicting their customs,

and their cooking.

White returned to England and was delayed there for three years after the Spanish Armada attacked the British isles. When he returned he found that Roanoke had disappeared, including his daughter and granddaughter, Virginia Dare, who was the first English child born in North America.

Another early painter was the sea captain Thomas Smith.

Here is a self-portrait by him:

This talented artist was not just a painter, but also a poet. Underneath the skull in his painting, he wrote the following words:

Why why should I the World be minding therein a World of Evils Finding. Then Farwell World: Farwell thy Jarres thy Joies thy Toies thy Wiles thy Warrs Truth Sounds Retreat: I am not sorye. The Eternall Drawes to him my heart By Faith (which can thy Force Subvert) To Crowne me (after Grace) with Glory

The early explorers were very impressed by the natural wonders on the newly found continent like the Niagara falls.

From about 1825 landscape paintings became the most popular subject of American artists as colonists expanded west-ward and discovered the vastness of the continent.

Thomas Cole is the founder of American landscape painting. These are some of his best works:

He inserted himself in The Oxbow. See if you can spot him.

Home in the Woods:

A View of the Two Lakes and Mountain House, Catskill Mountains, Morning:

Landscape paintings became a symbol of pride for the young nation.

Thomas More was another purveyor of these painted pleasures.

Grand Canyon of Yellow Stone:

I love his use of color.

Wyoming:

Utah:

Cliffs of Green River:

George Caleb Bingham:

George Caleb Bingham painted fur traders on the Missouri river with a cat:

He seemed to like painting men on or near water. Here is George Washington crossing the Delaware river, an important event during the American Revolution:

Here are more men on water:

They remind me of the adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, those great characters created by the peerless Mark Twain, my favorite writer of all time. We should bring top hats back.

These guys are next to the river:

George Washington was not the only legendary figure that Bingham painted. He also produced this icon painting of the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone:

The best painter of them all was probably Winslow Homer.

The Fog Warning:

Homer became famous for his maritime paintings.

I particularly like this one:

Sometimes he shifted his focus to the land:

He also painted some lovely pictures of women:

However, his forte lay in the sea:

and

Homer himself thought this one, entitled West Point, Prout’s Neck, is his best:

Personally I prefer his paintings with people in them.

What do you think?

I will share more marvelous pieces of art as I explore this fascinating subject, learning from the great masters to improve my own work.

If you like what you just read, please follow me on Medium and share this with your friends. If you did not, I thank you for reading this far and I hope you will like my next post.

Thank you.