8b: “Sans Arc Lakota” Ledger Book, 1880–1881; Black Hawk

Read 8b: “Sans Arc Lakota” Ledger Book, 1880–1881

What materials did he use; how can you tell? What did American Indians use to create art before these materials were available? (paint on teepee walls)

At first we were surprised that Caton had given Black Hawk such "unrefined" art materials as a notebook with lined pages, a pen and colored pencils. But given the Lakotas' lifestyle, why were these materials sufficient? (The Lakota were nomadic; a notebook and a few small drawing implements were far easier to transport than, say, dozens of canvases and hundreds of tubes of paint)

Compare to Catlin and Wyeth: 1) Which is the most historically accurate? Why? 2) How are the paintings similar and different?

Why did William Edward Caton want these drawings? (Caton had originally planned to get Black Hawk to illustrate his dream, but with the vast majority of the images being about everyday life, they were still valuable as a record of a lifestyle and culture that was on the verge of extinction.)

http://www.plainsledgerart.org/view.pila?action=list&LEDGER_ID=10 – includes animals, battles, spirits. Ledger books became popular in tribes – how were they different from teepee painting? (More private, could choose who to show them to, better for describing mundane, humorous, etc., events as well.) The image at the left is one of the first two drawings in this book; it depicts a thunder spirit. What can we recognize in this image that reflects the nature of this being?

Many 20th century Native American artists depict tribal life and rituals in a manner far different from the ways white artists depict their ideas of Native American culture. Artists such as Wyeth used rough brushstrokes, unmixed colors and little detail to illustrate The Last of the Mohicans, and this may be seen as a commentary on the wild, "unrefined" lifestyle of the Indians. However, artists such as Maria Montoya Martinez and Woodrow Crumbo (examples of work below) depict Native American life in an entirely different way. Martinez and Crumbo both work graceful, fluid lines, invisible brush strokes, and Crumbo with an incredible attention to stylization and detail.

Woodrow (Woody) Crumbo, 1912-1989 - Potowatomi Indian from Oklahoma, became a well-known artist of Native American subjects. Of his career, he wrote: "Half of my life passed in striving to complete the pictorial record of Indian history, religion, rituals, customs, way of life, and philosophies . . . a graphic record that a million words could not begin to tell." He also led a troupe that performed and collected traditional Indian dances while pursuing a degree in art.

6b: Catlin Painting the Portrait of Mah-to-toh-pa—Mandan, 1861/1869

Read 6b: Catlin Painting the Portrait of Mah-to-toh-pa—Mandan, 1861/1869

Who/what is actually the main subject of the painting? (Catlin painted this scene about 30 years after this event occurred, placing himself opposite the Mandan chief, with many of the Indians watching, open-mouthed, as he (Catlin) painted a striking likeness of their chief. Catlin's portrait-in-the-works is as much the center of attention as the Chief himself.)

Why do you think everyone is so interested in seeing Catlin paint a portrait? (Unfamiliar with how white men made images, creating realistic likenesses may have seemed like capturing someone’s spirit on canvas/paper)

Why do historians value Catlin’s paintings? (Catlin shows the details of American Indians’ dress and life before they adopted European clothes and customs; American Indians' way of life was about to change drastically due to the resettlement acts that would uproot them from their traditional homes and force them to change many of their customs)

Catlin first painted Mah-toh-to-pa indoors, but he changed the setting when he painted this version. Why did he do this? (Outdoor setting would be grander, would better reflect the Mandans’ home, would allow him to include more people)

Catlin didn’t include all the weapons the chief had been carrying. He said he left them out because he wanted to emphasize the grace and simplicity of his figure. Is it right for an artist to change details such as this? How would our impression of Mah-to-toh-pa change if he were wearing all his weapons? (Catlin was sympathetic to the Indian cause, perhaps he wanted to portray them in a less warlike manner to make them appear less threatening. Mah-to-toh-pa would look like a violent character if armed to the teeth.)

Catlin painted hundreds of portraits and scenes from tribal life of multiple American Indian tribes during his travels. See the link below for the complete first volume of his works.

(Below: Mandan Chief, Medicine Man, Bear Dance)

North American Indians: Being Letters and Notes on Their Manners, Customs, and Conditions, Written During Eight Years' Travel Amongst the Wildest Tribes of Indians in North America, 1832-1839. Volume 1 - http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.3900:1.lincoln

6a: John James Audubon

Read 6-A John James Audubon, American Flamingo, 1838

- Compare to Thomas Cole- why did Audubon and other artists want to document American wildlife at this time? (As urbanization gained momentum, there was a growing sense of nostalgia for what they were about to lose- nature - many animals/plants; massive hunting parties destroyed a lot of wildlife)
- How did they make scientific drawings? (no cameras; either drew animals in nature or, more likely, drew dead animals brought in for the specific purpose of making detailed scientific drawings)
-Why are Audubon’s images different from his contemporaries’? (Drew many from life when possible, but made them look living if they had to be killed to be drawn accurately; strove to give his paintings action and realism)
- Where is the American flamingo today? (much rarer; Caribbean area, central America).
- What are the sketches at the top? (fills out the page, shows detailed views of different parts of the bird)
- How is this print of a flamingo different from the plastic flamingos that people stick in their yards? Are they different? Are they both art?
- Thanks to Audubon, we have detailed images of birds that are now extinct, such as: the Carolina parrot, passenger pigeon, great auk, and Labrador duck.

*The entire folio collection, with his writings, may be found at: http://www.audubon.org/bird/boa/BOA_index.html

Audubon society – named for JJ Audubon because of his adventurous spirit and concern and passion for birds and other American wildlife, which he observed carefully and understood to be part of intricate systems in nature. The Audubon Society is a conservation effort that works to protect birds, wildlife and their habitats.
- With the invention of cameras, artists could work from photographs. What may have been some limitations of cameras? (many types of wildlife were extinct or much rarer at this point; for many years, cameras were cumbersome and subjects had to pose perfectly still for several minutes)
- Even after the invention of cameras, wildlife painting/drawing is still popular. Why might artists still be interested in drawing animals? (for personal interest, there is a market for realistic wildlife paintings/drawings still, for causes such as the Audubon society)

Also -- artists began to shift priorities: artists in the past century or so were freer to concentrate on capturing the “spirit”, movement, impression, or personality of the animal- such things aren’t possible with cameras- not in the same way. Until the late 1800s, the dominant "acceptable" style for painting, drawing and sculpting was realism. Beginning with the Impressionists in France (Monet, Renoir, Manet, Cezanne, etc.), new ways of "seeing" and interpreting the world were being explored. The Impressionists tried to capture the essence of a very brief moment in time (the "impression"). From there, cubism, art deco, abstract expressionism, surrealism, and many other art movements were born.

One artist who is credited with developing a popular and interesting style of art is...

Charley Harper (1922-2007), Cincinnati, OH
“In school I began to paint hyper-realistically – highlights on hairs.... [Eventually] I began to feel that this method of dealing with form revealed nothing new about the subject, never challenged the viewer to expand his awareness…” So he began recording what he felt to be the “essence” of a scene/animal/etc. He called it minimal realism: “Wildlife art without the fuss and feathers. I don’t try to put everything in – I try to leave everything out. I think flat, simple, hard-edge and funny."

HOMEWORK: essay: compare/contrast a painting by Audubon with a painting of the same bird by Harper. Include these four paragraphs in the main body of the essay: Describe Audubon's painting; describe Harper's painting. Pay attention to what each artist includes in his piece- plants, other animals, nests, bugs, etc. Pay attention to what Harper includes/leaves out in his stylized images of the birds. Then talk about how they are different and how they are similar. Have fun! Due November 4. (You can do extra credit and write another, due November 11)

Audubon's Birds of America

Go here to see some of Charley Harper's birds

Jaden - Wood Ibis

Jenna - Burrowing Owl

John - Purple Gallinule

Josh - Swallow-tailed Kite

Michael - (Common) Puffin

Paige - Passenger Pigeon

Shannon - Trumpeter Swan

Stephanie - Whooping Crane

The images of Harper's art in the link above come from this book: Birds and Words

4b, 5a, 5b

4b: Benjamin Franklin; Hiram Powers, 1862

Read, observations
- Powers lived after Franklin, so how did he learn about his appearance?
- Who else have we studied that went to Europe to pursue art? (Stuart) Why did Powers go?
- Why did the US government want a statue of Franklin? (He was a member of the convention that framed the constitution, which created the senate.)
- Nineteenth-century sculptors often depicted leaders in classical Greek or Roman robes, reminding viewers that American government had its roots in ancient Greece. Can you think of any examples of this in the US? (the Statue of Liberty) Powers was criticized for showing Franklin in contemporary dress (for the time). Why did he choose to do this?
- Compare Ben Franklin to portrait of George Washington: clothes, expression, pose, props

- Compare to portrait of Paul Revere: clothes, expression, pose, props

Other art in the Senate building: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/sd107-11/browse.html
Homework: Essay! Pick one of the paintings/sculptures from the catalogue and read the accompanying text. Write a paragraph describing the artwork (who made it, where, when, materials, size, etc.). In another paragraph describe what it depicts (remember to pay attention to dress, expression and pose, composition, etc.). Talk about the meaning/significance of the piece.Write another paragraph or so about why it is in the Senate building. You may need to look at other resources (please cite them at the end of the paper). Put the name of the artist and the title of the piece at the top of the paper; include an introduction and conclusion. Due October 21. If you’d like extra credit, you can do another one.

5a: View from Mount Holyoke (The Oxbow), Thomas Cole, 1836
Read, observations
- Why might someone living in a city at that time want an image like this in their home?

- What sorts of images are equivalent to this these days?
Discuss the Noah/Shaddai connection (symbols created through the presence of the logging scars)-In light of the recent rain…

-A reference to the days of Noah? Commentary on present-day society?

From the last paragraph: Is Cole suggesting that the landscape be read as a holy text that reveals the word of God? If so, wouldn’t any human intrusion be sacrilege? On the other hand, the artist’s careful division of the landscape implies that civilization drives out the danger and chaos inherent in the natural world. Perhaps the painting itself embodies Cole’s ambivalence (indecisiveness). It was also painted for profit and therefore could be considered, to a certain degree, exploitative of the nation’s natural beauty.

Thomas Cole is considered the founder of the Hudson River School movement- mid-1800s, landscape painting that was characterized by themes of naturalism (realism) and romanticism (emphasizing beauty, conveying a sense of purity, emotions). What may have spurred its creation? (a response to urbanization)

(left: sketch for "The View from Mt. Holyoke")

The Course of the Empire series (1 - The Savage State, 2 - The Arcadian/Pastoral State, 3 - Consummation, 4 - Destruction, 5 - Desolation)

What elements change? Which ones stay the same? How does Cole get his ideas across? What kinds of tools does he use to set the mood in these paintings?

Like the next artist, Thomas Cole did some illustrations for the popular book, "Last of the Mohicans", by James Fenimore Cooper. Here is one:














5b: The Last of the Mohicans Cover Illustration, N. C. Wyeth, 1919
Read, observations
Describe the style of the painting and how it pertains to the subject-matter (the rough brush strokes and unmixed colors reflect the rough-hewn and less "refined" lifestyle of the Indians; rich colors and slightly stylized characters/environment would appeal to the children who read the book)
Why is or is not this an accurate depiction of an American Indian?
- Is this ethical?



















French and Indian war:
The French and Indian War, a colonial extension of the Seven Years War that ravaged Europe from 1756 to 1763, was the bloodiest American war in the 18th century. It took more lives than the American Revolution, involved people on three continents, including the Caribbean. The war was the product of an imperial struggle, a clash between the French and English over colonial territory and wealth. Within these global forces, the war can also be seen as a product of the localized rivalry between British and French colonists.
After a year and a half of undeclared war, the French and the English formally declared war in May 1756. For the first three years of the war, the outnumbered French dominated the battlefield, soundly defeating the English in battles at Fort Oswego and Ticonderoga. Perhaps the most notorious battle of the war was the French victory at Fort William Henry, which ended in a massacre of British soldiers by Indians allied with the French. The battle and ensuing massacre was captured for history—though not accurately—by James Fenimore Cooper in his classic The Last of the Mohicans .
The tide turned for the British in 1758, as they began to make peace with important Indian allies and, under the direction of Lord William Pitt began adapting their war strategies to fit the territory and landscape of the American frontier. The British had a further stroke of good fortune when the French were abandoned by many of their Indian allies. Exhausted by years of battle, outnumbered and outgunned by the British, the French collapsed during the years 1758-59, climaxing with a massive defeat at Quebec in September 1759.
The results of the war effectively ended French political and cultural influence in North America. England gained massive amounts of land and vastly strengthened its hold on the continent. The war, however, also had subtler results. It badly eroded the relationship between England and Native Americans; and, though the war seemed to strengthen England's hold on the colonies, the effects of the French and Indian War played a major role in the worsening relationship between England and its colonies that eventually led into the Revolutionary War.

4a: Washington Crossing the Delaware; Emanuel Leutze, 1851

4a: Washington Crossing the Delaware; Emanuel Leutze, 1851

Read, observations.
What is the composition?
How big is the painting?
How does Leutze create the illusion of great distance?
What is calm in this scene? What is chaotic?
Does the boat look safe? The actual boats used in this venture were larger and fit 30-40 men.
-Why did Leutze depict them this way instead?

Related artistic works
- "Washington Crossing the Delaware" is the title of a 1936 sonnet by David Schulman. It refers to the scene in the painting, and is a 14-line rhyming sonnet of which every line is an anagram of the title:
A hard, howling, tossing water scene.
Strong tide was washing hero clean.
"How cold!" Weather stings as in anger.
O Silent night shows war ace danger!

The cold waters swashing on in rage.
Redcoats warn slow his hint engage.
When star general's action wish'd "Go!"
He saw his ragged continentals row.

Ah, he stands - sailor crew went going.
And so this general watches rowing.
He hastens - winter again grows cold.
A wet crew gain Hessian stronghold.

George can't lose war with's hands in;
He's astern - so go alight, crew, and win!

- William H. Powell created a painting that closely resembles Luetze's work, depicting Oliver Perry transferring command from one ship to another during the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The original painting now hangs in the Ohio Statehouse, and Powell later created a larger, more light toned rendering of the same subject which hangs in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In both of Powell's works, Perry is shown standing in a small boat rowed by several men in uniform. The Washington painting shows the direction of travel from right to left, and the Perry image shows a reverse direction of motion, but the two compositions are still very similar.



- "Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth", Leutze's companion piece to Washington Crossing the Delaware is displayed at the University of California, Berkeley.








- In 1953 the American Pop Artist Larry Rivers painted his version of Washington Crossing the Delaware (using the same title) which is in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
What elements do the two paintings have in common? What is different?









- Grant Wood makes direct use of Leutze's painting in his own Daughters of Revolution, 1932. The painting is a direct jab at the D.A.R., examining what Wood interpreted as their unfounded elitism.





-New Jersey State quarter: Crossroads of the Revolution

September 30 - 3b: George Washington, Lansdowne Portrait; Gilbert Stuart, 1796

Read section 3b and discuss: composition, colors, elements, dress (etc.). What do these elements mean?
- Why would Stuart have wanted to learn art the “European way”? Europe had universities and art academies that had been around for hundreds of years, whereas the (recently founded) United States had almost nothing of that nature. Elements that reflect Stuart’s European training: the background; columns, clouds, drapery.
- Why layer color?
- Why did Stuart paint him with his arm outstretched? (Oratorical pose)
- How does Washington’s appearance reflect how he wants other people to see him? Contemporary European rulers wore ornate wigs and brightly colored clothes.
-Define physiognomy: The assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face.
- How would you describe Washington’s character, based on his face?

Facial expressions in painted portraits:

A well-executed portrait is expected to show the inner essence of the subject (from the artist's point of view) or a flattering representation, not just a literal likeness. Artists may strive for photographic realism or an impressionistic similarity in depicting their subject, but this differs from a caricature which attempts to reveal character through exaggeration of physical features. The artist generally attempts a representative portrayal, as Edward Burne-Jones stated, "The only expression allowable in great portraiture is the expression of character and moral quality, not anything temporary, fleeting, or accidental." In most cases, this results in a serious, closed lip stare, with anything beyond a slight smile being rather rare historically. A full range of subtle emotions is possible from quiet menace to gentle contentment, even with the mouth relatively neutral; much of the facial expression is created through the eyes and eyebrows. As author and artist Gordon C. Aymar states, "the eyes are the place one looks for the most complete, reliable, and pertinent information" about the subject. And the eyebrows can register, "almost single-handedly, wonder, pity, fright, pain, cynicism, concentration, wistfulness, displeasure, and expectation, in infinite variations and
combinations."

- Why did Stuart make copies of his painting? Why did so many people want portraits of GW?

Stuart’s other portraits of Washington:



















Athenaeum portrait – used as Washington’s picture on the $1 bill
Vaughan portrait
Williamstown portrait

Portraits on US currency:
$1: George Washington, Athenaeum portrait, Gilbert Stuart



















$2: Thomas Jefferson, Gilbert Stuart



















$5: Abraham Lincoln, both versions of this bill are based on photographs taken by Matthew Brady in 1864



























$10: Alexander Hamilton, John Trumbull, 1805



















$20: Andrew Jackson, Thomas Sully

$50: Ulysses S. Grant, ...?

$100: Benjamin Franklin, Joseph-Siffred Duplessis