Painting & Everyday Life in 19th Century America Preliminary Exam II Professor Laura L. Meixner

IMAGE REVIEW -- Review Questions

(See also: Images viewed in lectures)

How do these two paintings relate to the beginnings of genre imagery in America? What was Quidor's attitude toward history as opposed to folklore?

The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane  Quidor, John (1801-1881)  1858  National Museum of American Art  purchase made possible in part by the Catherine Walden Myer Endowment,   the Julia D. Strong Endowment, and the Director's Discretionary Fund

The Return of Rip Van Winkle  Quidor, John  1849  National Gallery of Art  Andrew W. Mellon Collection

Compare this image to Cole's "Garden" and "Expulsion" scenes, which we discussed in class. How does this work fit into the larger themes Cole addressed throughout his career? What were Cole's personal religious beliefs, and how do these manifest themselves in his work?

The Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey  Cole, Thomas  1849  National Museum of American Art  Museum Purchase

Analyze these paintings and explain them as representations of Cole's Hudson River School style.

A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch)  Cole, Thomas  1839  National Gallery of Art  Andrew W. Mellon Fund

Sunrise in the Catskills  Cole, Thomas  1826  National Gallery of Art  Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art

In what ways did Constable influence the younger Hudson River School painters, such as Asher B. Durand? What distinguishes Constable's romantic aesthetic from that of Turner? In what ways did Constable's influence contribute to the American departure from Cole's style?

The White Horse  Constable, John  1849  National Gallery of Art  Washington, Widener Collection

Discuss this image as a nationalist icon. In what ways does Cropsey use the Hudson River scene to promote exceptionalism?

Autumn - On the Hudson River   Cropsey, Jasper Francis  1860  National Gallery of Art  Gift of the Avalon Foundation

You are visiting the National Gallery and come upon this painting. How can you confidently attribute it to Durand (on the basis of formal analysis)? How does it represent Durand's philosophy concerning nature?

Forest in the Morning Light   Durand, Asher Brown  1855  National Gallery of Art  Gift of Frederick Sturges, Jr.

Explain the ways that Durand developed a Hudson River School aesthetic independent of Cole's example. What are the key points in Durand's aesthetic theory, and how did he communicate these to the American public? How did French Barbizon (Rousseau) and British romanticism (Constable)allow Durand to develop a new landscape aesthetic? How does this aesthetic manifest itself in this image?

Woodland Glen   Durand, Asher Brown  1855  National Museum of American Art  Museum Purchase

Compare this image to Heades we've discussed in class. What did South America signify to artists and their post-Civil War audiences? What cultural or socio-political events and attitudes contributed to the popularity of scenes such as this one?

Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds   Heade, Martin Johnson  1871  National Gallery of Art  Gift of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Rio de Janeiro Bay   Heade, Martin Johnson  1864  National Gallery of Art  Gift of the Avalon Foundation

Explain Leo Marx's "machine in the garden" theory. How did this image challenge America's pastoral identity? How does Inness depart from precedents established by Cropsey and others?What attitudes do you think Inness himself held toward industrialization? Where does this image fit (in terms of attitude) relative to the popular illustrations of railway scenes we've looked at in class?

The Lackawanna Valley   Inness, George  1856  National Gallery of Art  Gift of Mrs. Huttleston Rogers

Explain the ways in which these paintings represent another aspect of Inness's style, distinct from "Lackawanna Valley." What is Inness saying here about the nature of American national (ist) icons? How might you contrast Inness and Church in their portrayals of Niagara? What were the socio-political, cultural factors influencing their approaches?

Niagara   Inness, George  1889  National Museum of American Art  Gift of William T. Evans

Niagara Falls   Inness, George  1885  National Museum of American Art  Gift of John Gellatly

In what ways are these paintings a paradigm of the luminist school? What were the poetic underpinnings of Kensett's style? How does the luminist movement speak to a nation engaged in Civil War?

Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor   Kensett, John Frederick  1857  National Gallery of Art  Gift of Frederick Sturges, Jr.	Along the Hudson   Kensett, John Frederick, (1816-1872)  1852  National Museum of American Art  Bequest of Helen Huntington Hull
Landing at Sabbath Day Point   Kensett, John Frederick  1853  National Gallery of Art  Gift of Mrs. Sigourney Thayer	Beach at Beverly   Kensett, John Frederick  1869  National Gallery of Art  Gift of Frederick Sturges, Jr.

Compare this image to "Heart of the Andes" and "Cotopaxi." What did the South American landscape represent to Church? How did Church represent the scientifc theories of his day? How might you compare/contrast his programme to Bierstadt's paintings of the American West?

Morning in the Tropics   Church, Frederic Edwin  1877  National Gallery of Art  Gift of the Avalon Foundation

Consider these works with a view to our readings by Trachtenberg, Truettner, and Dixon. In what ways does Moran illustrate Manifest Destiny, F.J.Turner's view of the West as democratic space? What were the key controversies raised by the National Museum of American Art (Truettner) exhibition?

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone  Moran, Thomas  1901  National Museum of American Art  Gift of George D. Pratt

Cliffs of the Upper Colorado River, Wyoming Territory   Moran, Thomas, (1837 England-1926 USA)  1882  National Museum of American Art  Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design

 

Black Canyon, Colorado River,   from Camp 8, Looking above   O'Sullivan, Timothy  1871  National Museum of American Art  Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment

Canyon de Chelle: Walls of the Grand Canyon about 1200 ft.   O'Sullivan, Timothy  1873  National Museum of American Art  Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment

Compare these images to Bierstadt's paintings, considering especially the compositional similarities. What was the market for photographs such as these? How did they contribute to the myth of the West?

Quarters of Men in Fort Sedgwick, known as Fort Hell   O'Sullivan, Timothy  1865  National Museum of American Art  Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment

Shoshone Falls, Snake River, Idaho Territory   O'Sullivan, Timothy  1874  National Museum of American Art  Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment

 

|CU-MESL Demonstration Page | SEARCH |MESL at CU Home Page | FAQ | Top of Page