"The Lies Of Realism":American Art And The Reconstructing Of The Nation During The Latter Half Of The19Th Century

Arounding how the art gets involved in the state-rebuilding, this dissertation narrated and illustrated systematically American art of the latter half of the nineteenth century. The development of American art has its own law of development. The national image in art which has begun to appear since the country was founded were hidden in American art. With the development of society, the American spirit that embodied in American paintings has changed.Early American art trying out the development of European art. However, the impact of the European spirit of traditional art is very profound. This contradiction was accompanied by the development of the art of the nineteenth century. Capitol Hill’s mural and painting, is show this antagonistic relationship. On the one hand, the United States tried to express with different European "freedom" and "democracy." On the other hand, Artistic creation not get rid of the shackles of traditional art. American artist to strike a balance between independence and inheritance, to find their own unique art.With the United States Westward Movement and the territory to expand, Under the stimulation of the spirit of adventure, The Americans found suitable for their own theme—"The vast nature". Such a beautiful scenery which not available in Europe, Americans are tough, adventure, pioneering spirit reflected in landscape painting. The Hudson School after Cole, has been the rapid development and widely recognized in America society. with the industrialized society and economy development, gradually intensified conflict within society, American Civil War broke out in the final. Artists panic in the face of war time, the development of photographic technology, cruel process of recording real war, a lot of people personally involved in the war, this painful experience also makes them unable to continue with the creation of the European heroic image of the traditional way. Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins as the representative of the artist, during this period, the artist created a lot of work to avoid the grand scene, more from humanity, dignity and perspective of everyday life, and grand themes have gradually been replaced by human nature. The latter is also the focus of a small scene painting, through the observation and treatment of meticulous, give strong, the spirit of patience and connotation, furthermore expression people’s support and solidarity with each other.Entered in twentieth Century, the rise of Trash School of American painting an important shift occurred, previous landscape painting, portraits no longer be taken seriously, but turned to the bottom of people’s daily life in the city. Change the style and theme seems to be the art American realistic failure, but the art concept from the traditional bondage, the ultimate success of the internationalization of American art, the art to stand on the pinnacle.