Puritans to Pop Art

Michael Smith Picturing Early America

2010

How did we get from point A to point B? From Early Colonial portraits of pious Puritans, to 20th Century celebrity silk-screens?

In search of the how and the why.

You have probably had your picture taken hundreds of times without giving it much thought.

Imagine if you could only have your picture taken once in your life.

How careful would you be about the image it presented?

In Colonial times you were lucky if you could afford to have your picture painted even one time. So you wanted to be presented at your best.

“Hi, my name is John Freake. Do you like my broach?”

Unknown artist 1670

Artwork quality is effected by;

Talent Training Tastes Technology

Hi, my name is Elizabeth Freake, and this is my daughter Mary. We were painted around 1670.

In what way are these alike? In what way are these different?

Young Mother Sewing by Mary Cassatt (1900) Elizabeth Freake portrait 1670

  Who is the sitter?   How are they posed?   What kind of clothing is the sitter wearing?   What is the setting?   What objects are there? What do they represent?   Who is the artist?   When was the portrait painted?   What was going on in history at the time?

“Hey kids, I’m Thomas Smith. That scene behind me is from my glory days in the navy. Want to hear my poem?

1680 Self portrait

Why why should I the World be Minding Therin a world of Evils Finding. Then farewell world: Farewell 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.

Thomas Smith 1690

Politics Economics Religion Society Intellectual Arts

This stuff effects everything too.

Thomas Smith self portrait 1680

Andy Warhol by Jamie Wyeth 1976

Portrait of Francis Brinley by John Smibert In 1729.

You must realize that American Art was rarely purely American. It was influenced by various countries, especially European countries, and also by the fact that America is a country full of immigrants who brought the artistic styles and tastes of their homeland to American art. Likewise, American artists have influenced other countries as well.

1755 Benjamin West portrait of Mrs. Samuel Boude

This was done by West as a teen, before going to Europe to be trained as an artist.

Colonel Guy Johnson by Benjamin West 1776

See what a little schooling can do for you?

John Singleton Copley’s Boy With A Squirrel 1765

George Bellows portrait of a working class boy about 1910

Copley’s portrait of his brother 1765

Copley’s portrait of Paul Revere done in 1768; Five years before the Boston Tea Party. What is Paul holding?

  Activity: Create your own self portrait using the same format as Thomas Smith’s self portrait.

  You must have a window behind you that tells about your life.

  Decide what you will be holding.   Also, what poem or song lyric will you have on

your desk?

Activity

Activity: Create your own self portrait using the same format as Thomas Smith. You must have a window behind you that tells about your life. Decide what you will be holding. Also, what poem or song lyric will you have on your desk?

  Who is the sitter?   How are they posed?   What kind of clothing is the sitter wearing?   What is the setting?   What objects are there? What do they

represent?   Who is the artist?   When was the portrait painted?   What was going on in history at the time?

Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart known as “The Lansdowne Portrait” it was painted in 1796.

Are these the clothes of a king?

What’s a Fasces?

What does his posture seem to be saying?

"President Elect" (1960-61) by James Rosenquist

  As Rosenquist explains, “The face was from Kennedy's campaign poster. I was very interested at that time in people who advertised themselves. What did they put on an advertisement of themselves? So that was his face. And his promise was half a Chevrolet and a piece of stale cake."

It’ all about consumerism

"President Elect" (1960-61) by James Rosenquist

George Washington portrait by Gilbert Stuart

The miniature portrait was quite popular in America from 1760 right up until about 1840.

They were small enough to hold in the palm of your hand!

Andrew Jackson 1819

Portrait of Alexander von Humbolt by George Weitsch 1804

Thomas Sully “The Torn Hat” 1820

Samuel F.B. Morse’s portrait of Jonas Platt 1828

George Catlin “See-non-ty-a an Iowa Medicine Man” 1845

Did you realize that during the first part of the 19th Century, the United States not only allowed slavery, but was also in the process of relocating and decimating the Native American population?

Winslow Homer’s “The New Novel” 1877

You would never see a woman portrayed like this during the Colonial period!

The invention of photography had an effect on artists. Now that a camera could capture how someone looked, artists searched for ways to create artwork that went beyond the mere recording of an image. They began to experiment with creative uses of color and style. The first group of artists to do this were called The Impressionists.

Lydia Leaning on Her Arms (in a theatre box), 1879 By Mary Cassatt

Marry Cassatt was an American Impressionist 1900

It didn’t switch on like a light bulb, but as we moved into the 20th Century, artists experimented more and more with abstraction and this also had an effect on portraiture.

Arshile Gorky’s The Artist and His Mother 1926

The Artist and His Mother Arshile Gorky 1926

The artist Andy Warhol is most credited with the art movement known as Pop Art. It was art that was inspired by the popular culture. In other words products that Americans were consuming. That meant anything from cans of tomato soup to celebrities.

Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe 1962

John Singer Sargent’s “Lady Agnew” 1893

John Singer Sargent’s Lady Agnew 1893

Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe 1962

In the Sixties and Seventies artists moved toward painting that was super-real. They made paintings that looked like photographs. The style was called “Photorealism”.

Chuck Close self portrait 1968

Chuck Close “Big Self Portrait” 1968 Walt Kuhn “Wisconsin” 1936

Walt Kuhn’s “Wisconsin” 1936 Chuck Close “Big Self Portrait 1968

Discussion

How have portraits stayed the same?

How have portraits changed?

  Create a collage using magazine images in the style of the Pop Artist James Rosenquist’s The President Elect.

  (Optional) Grid the collage and create a painting of the image.

  Understanding that before photography became the norm, you only had your likeness made if you could afford it and therefore you wanted to present yourself at your best.

  How to read a portrait.   Understanding P.E.R.S.I.A. Politics, Economics,

Religion,   Society, Intellect, the Arts effects everything.   Understanding that American Art had many

influences, especially European.

  Puritan   linear   chiaroscuro (key-ara-skyooro)   fasces (fas’ eze)   Popular culture   Photorealism   limner

   - Explain how the subject matter and/or form of an artwork reflects the  events, ideas, religions, and/or customs of a people living at a particular time in history.

  Be aware of how the role of artists changes  in different cultures and historical periods.

   -    Be aware that there are different  styles of art and architecture and identify characteristics associated with these styles.

       Identify and describe characteristic features of 

Art from one time period, or a style of art from at least one culture, and cite a well-known artist associated with that style.

    Identify and describe examples of how the discovery of new inventions and technologies, or the availability of new materials brought about changes in the arts in various time periods and cultures.

  -  Begin to develop 2D compositions that give the illusion of 3D space and volume.

The producer thought that “Picturing America” was very sublime, but leaning towards the beautiful, due to all of the people who are anything but “stuffage” as far as he’s concerned.

The End