American 19-20th Century Representational Art

 

Introduction

This section of the Traditional Fine Arts Organization (TFAO) catalogue Topics in American Art is devoted to the topic "American 19-20th Century Multi-Subject Representational Art." Articles and essays specific to this topic published in TFAO's Resource Library are listed at the beginning of the section. Clicking on titles takes readers directly to the articles and essays. The date at the end of each title is the date of publication in Resource Library.

Materials referenced below could not be readily placed in other Topics in American Art. New topics will be created from these disparate materials when there is enough content aggregated to create them.

We recommend that researchers always search within Resource Library for additional material. Please see TFAO's page How to research topics not listed for more information.

After "TFAO references" are links to online resources found outside the TFAO website. Online resources are gathered from TFAO catalogues. Following online resources is information about offline resources including museums, DVDs, and paper-printed books, journals and articles. Our goal is to present complete knowledge relating to this section of Topics in American Art.

 

Our 297 articles and essays honoring the American experience through its art:

2007-2016

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1997-1998

 

From other websites:

100 Works for 100 Years, an exhibit held June 23, 2012 - September 16, 2012 at the Delaware Art Museum. Includes audio clips. Accessed August, 2015

The American Art galleries of the Brooklyn Museum of Art were reinstalled in 2019 to broaden the geographical range and timeline of the presentation. The museum says: "The installation is divided into sections grouped by time period and related themes that include The Americas' First Peoples (4000 B.C.E.-1521 C.E.), From Colonies to States (including The Colonial Period in the Americas, 1660-1776, and The Early Republic, 1776-1830), Imagining the New Nation's Landscape (1800-1880), Visions and Myths of a Nation (including Life in the Northeast, 1800-1890, and Westward Expansion, 1800-1890), Nations Divided (1860-1910), The United States on the World Stage (1865-1930), The City and the Rise of the Modern Woman (1900-1945), and Beyond Borders and Boundaries (20th and 21st Centuries)." Accesssed 4/19

American Eyes: Art from the Collection of Gil and Deborah Williams, an exhibit held November 6, 2010 - January 9, 2011 at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. Includes essay. Accessed January, 2015

American Legacy Fine Arts website has an Art Library page, including a link to The Rise of an American Art by Michael Zakian. Accessed July, 2015.

American Made: Selections from The Huntington's Early American Art Collections is a 2015 exhibit at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens which says: "American Made: Selections from The Huntington's Early American Art Collections opens Sept. 5 and continues through Jan. 5, 2016, focusing on masterworks from the colonial period through the Civil War.   Accessed 2/19

Left: Library Building, Right: Virginia Scott Gallery, 1999, photos by John Hazeltine. Please click on images to enlarge them.

American Paintings from the Collection of Wesleyan College was a 2014-15 exhibit at Columbus Museum, which says: "This beautiful exhibition features paintings from the collection of Wesleyan College in Macon. The core of the collection was donated to the college during the 1930s through 1950s by distinguished painter and Wesleyan alumna, Helena Eastman Ogden Campbell, and by friends in her New York and European artistic milieu. The collection remains a testament to her commitment to painting and collecting and her leadership in the New York arts community." Accessed 10/16. Also see the traveling exhibit prospectus from Wesleyan College which has a link to the online 40-page catalog for a 2007 Helena Eastman Ogden Campbell exhibit. Accessed 10/16

American Paintings and Prints from Shelburne Museum, an exhibit held February 12-June 6, 2010 at the Middlebury College Museum of Art. Accessed February, 2015.

American Treasures At The Willoughby-Baylor House was a 2013 exhibit by Chrysler Museum of Art which says: "Come experience more than 50 of our best American paintings and sculptures -- including works by John Singleton Copley, Albert Bierstadt, Susan Watkins, and Winslow Homer- in the intimate rooms of this restored 1794 home. All told, we are presenting two centuries of masterpieces in a fresh, new perspective." Also see Daily Press 1/12/13 article "Chrysler showcases treasures at Willoughby-Baylor House" by Mark St. John Erickson. Accessed 10/16

American Works on Paper to 1950: Highlights from the Hood Museum of Art, an exhibit held September 22 through December 9, 2007 at the Hood Museum of Art. Includes QuickTime gallery panoramas and press release. Accessed January, 2015.

Charles Sheeler: Across Media, an exhibit held February 10, 2007 - May 6, 2007 at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Includes press release. Accessed August, 2015

(above: entrance to de Young Museum. photo courtesy of John Hazeltine. © 2006 John Hazeltine)

(above: California Palace of the Legion of Honor. photos © 1998 John Hazeltine. Please click on images to enlarge them)

 

Chinatown in Any North American City - sample of artists and works from askArt. Accessed August, 2015.

The Collection of Calloway and Jerry Bywaters Cochran: In Honor of a Lone Star Legend, an exhibit held June 3 - August 19, 2012 at the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University. Accessed February, 2015.

Coming of Age: American Art 1850s to 1950s, an exhibit held November 30, 2007-February 24, 2008 at the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University. Accessed February, 2015.

Connecting the World: The Panama Canal at 100, an exhibit held November 1, 2014 - February 1, 2015 at the Mint Museum. Includes press release and video. Accessed March, 2015.

Embracing Elegance, 1885-1920: American Art from the Huber Family Collection, an exhibit held June 11 through September 4, 2011 at the Hood Museum of Art. Includes exhibit panoramas and press release. Accessed January, 2015.

Excavating New Ground, American Art in the 1970, an exhibit held February 11 - August 14, 2011 at the University of Virginia Art Museum. Includes exhibit extended object labels and wall panel text. Accessed May, 2015.

Fairfield Porter: Raw-The Creative Process of an American Master, an exhibit held May 19-August 7, 2011 at the Middlebury College Museum of Art. Includes 10 audio files. Accessed February, 2015.

Flag Painters and American Flag Images from askArt. Accessed August, 2015.

Global Vistas: American Art and Internationalism in the Gilded Age is a 2020 online exhibit at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis which says: " Global Vistas: American Art and Internationalism in the Gilded Age explores the importance of international travel and exchange to American art of the late nineteenth century, a period of transition for the United States marked by the rise of global trade, international tourism, massive waves of immigration, and forces of orientalism and imperialism." Accessed 3/23

Grant Wood and the American Farm is a 2016 exhibit at Reynolda House Museum of American Art. The museum says: "Reynolda House's Wood masterpiece, "Spring Turning," will feature prominently alongside 35 works of art on loan from 17 museums from around the country. The exhibition will also include historic North Carolina farm equipment. "Grant Wood and the American Farm" is curated especially for Reynolda House -- its only venue -- by the museum's curator, Allison Slaby." Accessed 10/16.

(above: Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC. Image courtesy Reynolda House)

 

Henry Darger: Author/Artist  is a 2017 exhibit at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art which says: "In the juxtaposition of Henry Darger's art and writings, audiences can explore how the artist approached related subjects in different mediums. Surprising to many, Henry Darger created very few works of art that depict specific episodes from his epic novel, Realms of the Unreal." Accessed 3/17

Henry Varnum Poor: Commemorating 125 Years, an exhibit held in 2012 at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery. Includes extended essay by Ron Michael. Accessed May, 2015

In Tandem: Inspirations and Collaborations, an exhibit held September 1, 2015 - January 3, 2016 at the Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy. A companion exhibit site includes commentary on artists and their works included in the exhibit. Accessed January, 2016.

Made in the USA: American Masters from The Phillips Collection, 1850-1970, an exhibit held March 31 - August 31, 2014 at the Phillips Collection. Includes online audio and video materials. Accessed April, 2015.

Masterworks: Paper was a 2016 exhibit from the Albany Institute of History & Art, whcih says: "Manuscripts, letters, architectural plans, photographs, ephemera, silhouettes, and maps spanning three centuries will be featured alongside works by American masters including artists Thomas Cole, Walter Launt Palmer, and Ellsworth Kelly, industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, and muralist Lewis W. Rubenstein." Accessed 11/16 Also see "Masterworks: Paper at AIHA" By William Jaeger 5/4/16 in Times Union. Accessed 11/16

Material Friction: Americana and American Art, an exhibit featuring highlights from the collection of Jonathan and Karin Fielding, held June 12, 2014 - November 2, 2014 at the Williams College Museum of Art. Includes exhibit brochure and press release. Accessed May, 2015.

A Mother's Pearls: Children In American Paintings, an exhibit held January 27 - April 19, 2009 at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. Includes press reviews. [Link found to be expired as of 2015 audit. TFAO is saving the citation for use by researchers.]

Pulling Strings: The Art and Marionettes of Gustave Baumann, a virtual exhibit from the New Mexico Museum of Art. Accessed March, 2015.

(above left: Plaza, Looking North, Santa Fe, February, 1997; above right: Detail of Front Facade, Fine Arts Museum, Santa Fe, 1997, photos by John Hazeltine. Please click on the images for enlargements.

 

Rabble-Rousers: Art, Dissent, and Social Commentary, an exhibit held December 7, 2013 - April 20, 2014 at the Heckscher Museum of Art. Includes exhibit brochure, resource guide and activity page. Accessed January, 2015

Rewind: Art of the 1980s is a 2015 exhibit at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts which says: "Throughout the 1980s, many different styles emerged demonstrating an expansion of the plurality of ideas that had begun in 1970s into exciting modes of expression." Accessed 3/17

Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, 1953-1966, an exhibit held 10/26/13 - 02/16/14 at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Accessed April, 2015.

(above; Palm Springs Art Museum, photos © 1999 John Hazeltine)

 

Rhythm & Roots: Dance in American Art was an exhibit held at the Denver Art Museum July 10 through October 2, 2016. DAM says: "Rhythm & Roots: Dance in American Art explores the influences, evolution, and distinct traditions of dance in America, portraying dances ranging from American Indian dances to ballet, the Charleston to Spanish flamencos. About 90 paintings, photographs, sculptures and costumes relating to American dance from 1830 to 1960 will be on view. ... Rhythm & Roots also explores the interaction between visual artists, dancers and choreographers." Also see Art History News article with images. and Westword review by Michael Paglia. Accessed August, 2016.

The Sullivan Family: Legacy Exhibition, an exhibit held April 15 - July 23, 2011 at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. Includes exbibit catalog. Accessed April, 2015.

Work and Leisure in American Art: Selected Works from the Collection was a 2015-16 exhibit at Montclair Art Museum which says: "This collection-based exhibition comprises over 60 paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper that explore the universal themes of labor and leisure in America from the 18th century to the present day. The works on view range chronologically from Benjamin West's exposure of political corruption in the painting Oliver Cromwell Dissolving the Long Parliament (1782) to the photograph The Stone Breakers (After Gustave Courbet), 2013 by Vik Muniz." Accessed 10/16.

C-Span Video Library presents John Updike, delivering the 37th Annual Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, "The Clarity of Things: What Is American about American Art?" 31 minutes, 5/22/08 Accessed May, 2015.

The Phillips Collection produced a video titled Made in the USA: American Masters from the Phillips Collection, available online through ArtBabble. According to ArtBabble, "Associate Curator for Research Susan Behrends Frank introduces Made in the USA, on view at The Phillips Collection March 1 through August 31, 2014. Following an acclaimed worldwide tour, the Phillips's renowned collection of American masterworks returns to the museum. Made in the USA tells the story of American art from the late 19th-century to the mid-20th century when American art became a significant global force after World War II. This extensive exhibition features more than 200 works by over 120 artists and will occupy nearly two-thirds of the museum's galleries. Artists include Milton Avery, Stuart Davis, Richard Diebenkorn, Arthur Dove, Edward Hopper, Jacob Lawrence, John Marin, Robert Motherwell, Georgia O'Keeffe, Mark Rothko, John Sloan, Clyfford Still, and many others" Accessed June, 2015.

 

DVD/VHS videos:

American Vision: The History of American Art and Architecture produced by Planet 24 in association with BBC Television; a Time Inc.-BBC co-production; produced in association with Thirteen/WNET. eight videocassettes. 60 minutes each. PBS Video, 1996. "In this eight-part series, Robert Hughes, the renowned art critic for Time magazine, takes viewers on an exuberant guided tour through 200 years of our visual culture, vividly illustrating how art conveys deep messages about who America is as a nation. Available through the Sullivan Video Library at The Speed Art Museum which holds a sizable collection of art-related videos available to educators at no charge. Description source: Amon Carter Museum Teacher Resource Center.

The Republic of Virtue "Demonstrates how the new republic adopts and transforms the classical style to serve a new, democratic ideal. Examples range from heroic statues of George Washington to the architecture of Thomas Jefferson." Episode one titled "The Republic of Virtue" part 1 of 5 10:48; part 2 of 5 10:54; part 3 of 5 10:57; part 4 of 5 10:58; part 5 of 5 10:57

The Promised Land "Explores ways that religion had a fundamental impact on the shaping of American culture. From the Spanish missions in New Mexico to the Puritan churches of New England, a new American culture emerges through architecture and portraiture." Episode two titled "The Promised Land" part 1 of 6 10:41; part 2 of 6 8:37; part 3 of 6 8:59; part 4 of 6 10:42; part 5 of 6 9:31; part 6 of 6 6:35

The Wilderness and the West "Travels from Yellowstone to the Hudson Valley via works of artists Albert Bierstadt (1830--1902), John James Audubon (1785--1851), Frederic Church (1826--1900), Frederic Remington (1861--1909), and Thomas Cole (1801--1848)." Episode three titled "The Wilderness and the West" covering The US West, Manifest Destiny, and national identity part 1 of 6 10:46; part 2 of 6 10:37; part 3 of 6 9:36; part 4 of 6 9:09; part 5 of 6 7:29; part 6 of 6 7:25

The Gilded Age "Reveals widely different experiences of the American Dream through images of the Brooklyn Bridge, photographs of the Civil War, portraiture, and impressionist and realist paintings." Episode four titled "The Gilded Age" part 1 of 5 10:57; part 2 of 5 10:57; part 3 of 5 10:55; part 4 of 5 10:57; part 5 of 5 10:58

A Wave from the Atlantic "Describes the impact of the waves of immigrants in the early-20th century. Follows the development of the socially conscious art circle called the Ashcan School, the historic 1913 Armory Show, and the artists who forged a modernism that is uniquely American" Episode five titled "A Wave from the Atlantic" part 1 of 5; 10:54; part 2 of 5 9:40 part 3 of 5 10:58; part 4 of 5 10:58; part 5 of 5 10:57

Streamlines and Breadlines "Compares the mythic images of the 1920s and 30s, as urban as the skyscrapers rising up in New York and as rural as the heartland realized by regionalist painters like Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)." Episode six titled "Streamlines and Breadlines" part 1 of 5 10:57; part 2 of 5 10:58; part 3 of 5 10:57; part 4 of 5 10:58; part 5 of 5 10:58

The Empire of Signs "Details how America's power becomes unrivaled in the post-war era, and how artists of the period make an explosive break with the past. Considers the impact of Hiroshima on art, traces the development of abstract expressionism and the life of Jackson Pollock, and explores how artists as different as James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns reacted to the new consumer culture." Episode seven titled "The Empire of Signs" part 1 of 5 10:57; part 2 of 5 10:57; part 3 of 5 10:58; part 4 of 5 10:58; part 5 of 5 10:58

The Age of Anxiety" "Explores how American art reflects the upheavals of the last twenty-five years, from the evolution of abstract art to minimalism. The program also considers the spiritual richness of earth works, in which nature is the artist's medium." Episode eight titled "The Age of Anxiety" part 1 of 5 10:55; part 2 of 5 10:52; part 3 of 5 10:50; part 4 of 5 10:55; part 5 of 5 10:57

TFAO does not maintain a lending library of videos or sell videos. Click here for information on how to borrow or purchase copies of VHS videos and DVDs listed in TFAO's Videos -DVD/VHS, an authoritative guide to videos in VHS and DVD format

 

Go to Representational Art (other): 18-19th Century, 19-20th Century, 20-21st Century

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