Art

The Beeches  ( c.1845 ) by Asher Brown Durand 60 3/8 x 48 1/8 in., oil on canvas America View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts. after a Thunderstorm - The Oxbow ( c. 1836 ) by Thomas Cole 51 1/2 x 76 in., oil on canvas America Hudson River School Style: Intentions and Analysis The primary focus of Hudson River School painters was American landscapes. This style of painting emerged around the same time the phrase " Manifest Destiny " was coined. Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined by God to expand its territory west and spread democracy and capitalism across North America. Hudson River School style was based in New York, though many artists traveled west, and so their paintings documented westward expansion and reinforced Manifest Destiny. With the Civil War beginning in 1861, their landscape paintings provided hope and the promise of beautiful lands untouched by battle.  Hudson River School style was heavily influenced by the Rom...

Oath of the Horatii ( c. 1784 ) by Jacques-Louis David 3.3m x 4.25m, oil on canvas Rome The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June, 1775  ( c. 1786 ) by John Trumbull   65.1cm x 95.6cm, oil on canvas   America Samuel Adams ( c. 1772 ) by John Singleton Copley 125.73 cm x 100.33 cm, oil on canvas America Neoclassical Style Neoclassicism gained popularity as a direct opposition to the frivolous sensuality of Rococo painters of the time. Neoclassicist artists believed that art should be cerebral, not sensual. Neoclassical art is defined by its use of strong drawing and smooth surfaces (no visible brush strokes).   Revolutions During the late 1700s, the American Revolution and the French Revolution were both current and relevant topics. As such, Neoclassicists wanted to express a rationality and seriousness befitting such a serious time. Additionally, the Enlightenment occurred during this time; philosophers believed one could control their...