colonial and revolutionary art making a new nation, part i american studies william fremd high...
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Colonial and Revolutionary Art
Making A New Nation, Part I
American StudiesWilliam Fremd High School
Earliest Art in Colonial Life
• Art should be considered an artifact of history, not as a document.
• Art was notably absent for the first 50-60 years of colonial life. Why?
Thomas Smith: Self-Portrait, 1680
Limners• Someone who
draws for a specific, private audience
• Primary occupation was home decorating (furniture, etc.); portraiture was a sideline
• Frequently anonymous (unsigned)
Anonymous: The Mason Children, 1670 (attributed to the Freake painter)
Joshua Johnson:
Portrait of Sea Captain
John Murphy
Joshua Johnson was the first
distinguished African-
American painter.
18th Century Painting
• Drastic improvements in technique: depth, perception
• Artists were more well trained.
John Singleton Copley: Paul Revere