1.3 Key Artists and Their Contributions

Early American artists shaped the visual identity of a young nation through their portraits and historical paintings. Key figures like John Singleton Copley, Benjamin West, and Gilbert Stuart set new standards for American art, capturing the likeness and character of prominent colonists and revolutionaries.

These artists' work provided a visual record of emerging American identity. Their success abroad helped validate American artists internationally. Portraiture dominated, allowing patrons to display status, while large-scale history paintings by West influenced younger painters and inaugurated more modern approaches.

Colonial and Early American Artists

Prominent Painters of the Late Colonial Period

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• John Singleton Copley painted portraits of important figures in Colonial America (Paul Revere, Samuel Adams)
  • Captured the character and social status of his subjects with a sense of directness and honesty
  • Set new standards for portraiture in the colonies
  • Provided a visual record of the emerging American identity in the years preceding the Revolution
• Charles Willson Peale was a painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist
  • Established one of the first museums in the United States
  • Best known for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson)
  • Embraced neoclassicism in his portraits, often setting his subjects amongst objects representing their professions or interests
  • Had a talent for capturing a strong likeness of his subjects

Influential Expatriate Artists

• Benjamin West was a neoclassical painter who found success in London
  • Became a founder of the Royal Academy
  • Created large-scale historical and religious scenes (The Death of General Wolfe, Penn's Treaty with the Indians)
  • Work had a significant influence on the course of American painting
  • Success in London and role in establishing the Royal Academy helped validate American artists on the international stage
• Gilbert Stuart was an American painter from Rhode Island widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists
  • Best known work is the unfinished portrait of George Washington sometimes referred to as The Athenaeum
  • Iconic portraits of George Washington and other founding fathers created an enduring visual image of the new nation's leaders
  • Bold, virtuosic style was influential on the next generation of American portraitists
  • Career launched with the support of Benjamin West and other expatriate artists in London

Styles and Techniques of American Art

Portraiture Styles

• John Singleton Copley's style characterized by realism and directness
  • Used props and settings to convey the character and status of his subjects
  • Paid great attention to the details of faces, clothes, and surroundings
• Charles Willson Peale embraced neoclassicism in his portraits
  • Often set subjects amongst objects representing their professions or interests
  • Had a talent for capturing a strong likeness
• Gilbert Stuart's portrait style emphasized capturing personality and character of subjects
  • Focused on facial features
  • Used bold and virtuosic brushwork
  • Masterful use of color
  • Innovated use of unfinished background in 1796 Athenaeum Portrait of George Washington which distinguished the sitter and became iconic

Benjamin West's Neoclassical Innovations

• Featured idealized figures, theatrical compositions, and moralizing themes drawn from ancient history and the Bible
• Utilized light and color for dramatic effect in large-scale paintings
• The Death of General Wolfe depicted a contemporary event with figures in modern dress
  • Broke with convention and helped inaugurate a more modern attitude toward history painting
• Dramatic, large-scale history paintings influenced younger American painters

Contributions of Key American Artists

Setting New Standards and Shaping Identity

• John Singleton Copley's realism and honest depiction of Colonial American subjects
  • Set new standards for portraiture in the colonies
  • Provided a visual record of the emerging American identity in the years preceding the Revolution
• Gilbert Stuart's iconic portraits of George Washington and other founding fathers
  • Created an enduring visual image of the new nation's leaders
  • Bold, virtuosic style was influential on the next generation of American portraitists

Fostering Art Appreciation and Elevating Artist Status

• Benjamin West's success in London and role in establishing the Royal Academy
  • Helped validate American artists on the international stage
  • Dramatic, large-scale history paintings influenced younger American painters
• Charles Willson Peale's efforts to establish museums and other cultural institutions
  • Helped foster an appreciation for art
  • Elevated the status of artists in the young United States
  • Work as an artist and naturalist embodied Enlightenment ideals

Patronage in American Art Careers

Colonial Commissions and Sponsorship

• In colonial America, most artists relied on commissions from wealthy patrons or institutions like churches to make a living
  • Portraiture was the most common genre, allowing patrons to display their status and record their likenesses
• John Singleton Copley's career launched with portraits commissioned by the merchant class of Boston
  • Later gained the patronage of prominent British political figures like John Adams
• Benjamin West's career aided by the support and patronage of wealthy Philadelphians
  • Sponsored his travel to Italy to study classical art
  • In London, obtained the patronage of King George III

Political Patronage and Presidential Portraits

• Charles Willson Peale depended on commissions from the wealthy and educated citizens of Philadelphia
  • Used his connections to secure patronage and support for his museum and other projects
  • Painted the first of several portraits of George Washington in 1772, an early example of the importance of political patronage
• Gilbert Stuart's reputation and financial success cemented by commissions to paint portraits of the first five U.S. presidents
  • Career launched with the support of Benjamin West and other expatriate artists in London