Hot History: Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley's Bold Art Revolution at the MFAH
This reading described the curation of an exhibit of the work and artifacts of Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. These expatriate artists took a distinctly American artistic style which they mixed with Romantic style following their moving from the United States to Great Britain. The article described the break from traditional British art work as being "contemporary history;" their work was large and had drama and theatricality, much like America itself. This differed from what was considered "appropriate" to paint at the time.
The painters had been friends; in fact, Benjamin West encouraged John Singleton Copley to move to Europe to study. There, West became involved in the Neoclassical movement, while Copley became involved in the Romantic movement. I found it interesting how these two painters, who had encouraged and aided each other, became rivals and enemies later in life in the art world. Some things, like competition, surpass time period and country.
This article is strong in that it very appropriately explains the curation of the exhibit, and the use of items from the mens lives as well as their various paintings, sketches, sculptures, etc. to fully show their effects. I also liked the definition of the new, Americanized style, and how that tied to the historical context of the Revolutionary War. However, the readings weakness lies in its brevity. It is much too short, and I needed to do extra research to supplement the information provided.
This tied to many themes from previous readings. Like David French, this shows how artists were affected and themselves affected the art styles of the time. French was affected by the artistic community in which he grew up, while West and Copley were first inspired and then shaped their respective movements based on their extremely American heritage. It also related to the reading about the atomic bomb and American art as propaganda: this style, done by Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley, was possibly the first distinct, "unique style" that traveled to other nations and reinforced "American" ideals.
This reading described the curation of an exhibit of the work and artifacts of Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. These expatriate artists took a distinctly American artistic style which they mixed with Romantic style following their moving from the United States to Great Britain. The article described the break from traditional British art work as being "contemporary history;" their work was large and had drama and theatricality, much like America itself. This differed from what was considered "appropriate" to paint at the time.
The painters had been friends; in fact, Benjamin West encouraged John Singleton Copley to move to Europe to study. There, West became involved in the Neoclassical movement, while Copley became involved in the Romantic movement. I found it interesting how these two painters, who had encouraged and aided each other, became rivals and enemies later in life in the art world. Some things, like competition, surpass time period and country.
This article is strong in that it very appropriately explains the curation of the exhibit, and the use of items from the mens lives as well as their various paintings, sketches, sculptures, etc. to fully show their effects. I also liked the definition of the new, Americanized style, and how that tied to the historical context of the Revolutionary War. However, the readings weakness lies in its brevity. It is much too short, and I needed to do extra research to supplement the information provided.
This tied to many themes from previous readings. Like David French, this shows how artists were affected and themselves affected the art styles of the time. French was affected by the artistic community in which he grew up, while West and Copley were first inspired and then shaped their respective movements based on their extremely American heritage. It also related to the reading about the atomic bomb and American art as propaganda: this style, done by Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley, was possibly the first distinct, "unique style" that traveled to other nations and reinforced "American" ideals.