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Paul Revere, 1768
John Singleton Copley
This portrait, an idealized view of labor consistent with the democratic ideals of the New World, depicts Paul Revere as a working craftsman. At the time of this portrait, Revere was a successful silversmith - not an American hero. Still Copley captured the heroic qualities of physical strength, moral certainty, and intelligence that allowed Revere to play a pivotal role in American history. |
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Pottery and Baskets, (c. 1100 to c. 1960)
Various Artists
From cylindrical clay jars gracing a 1000 A.D. home to baskets serving a mobile society, everyday objects held glimpses into America's past. They chart a proud history of craftmanship and traditions handed down from generation to generation. |
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Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, San Antonio, Texas, 1755
Various Artists
The Catholic mission in San Antonio now stripped to bare stone was originally plastered white and adorned with red, blue, yellow, and black painted designs. It was built to serve as a barrier against French expansion into Texas. Made using local materials and artisans, the stone-faced adobe structure features a floor plan that reflected Catholic traditions. |
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Silver of the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries
Various Artists
Shiny silver teapots - of different sizes and shapes - reflect the economic climate and political upheaval taking place in the US during the time of their production. Once reserved for the 17th-century well to-do, silver wares became available to a larger audience with the opening of silver mines in the West and technological advancements such as electroplating and industrialization. |
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The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, 1931
Grant Wood (American, 1892–1942)
Grant Wood's bird's-eye-view of Revere's legendary ride offers a whimsical, child-like interpretation of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's well-known poem. The artist's desire to preserve American folklore was part of his greater scheme to forge a national identity through art and history. |
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George Washington (the Lansdowne portrait), 1796
Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755–1828)
This full-length portrait deftly captures Washington's role as an orator, leader, and father of his country. Washington's choice of attire - a plain black suit and no wig - conveys his belief that the US president was not a king, but a citizen of a land where all men were created equal. |
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Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851
Emanuel Leutze (American, 1816–1868)
With defeats mounting and morale sinking, George Washington led his army across the icy river on Christmas night, 1776. Emanuel Leutze's life-sized canvas vividly shows the courage and sacrifice demonstrated by America's founders during a time when victory and independence were an uncertain conclusion. |
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Benjamin Franklin, 1862
Hiram Powers (American, 1805–1873)
Although it displays clear classical influences in pose and posture, this larger-than-life-sized marble statue of Benjamin Franklin has a naturalistic style. Hiram Powers's contemporaries objected to portraying historical figures in contemporary dress, but the sculptor chose to depict the founding father accurately, in a realistic mid-18th century wardrobe - from his tricorne hat to his cotton hose. |
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The Oxbow, 1836
Thomas Cole (American, b. England, 1801–1848)
Landscape paintings were especially well-liked in the 19th century, when urban dwellers viewed rural life as a remedy for the problems of industrialization. Thomas Cole's split representation of the Connecticut Valley depicts the inherent conflict between wilderness and civilization that characterized westward expansion. |
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Last of the Mohicans, cover illustration, 1919
N. C. Wyeth (American, 1882–1945)
N.C. Wyeth's romanticized cover illustration for James Fenimore Cooper's novel did much to create an enduring image of the American Indian as a "noble savage." Though his depiction of Uncas as a formidable warrior - complete with bare chest, animal skin skirt, and bow and arrow - departed from the author's character description, it remained true to the country's fascination with its Native American heritage. |
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American Flamingo, 1838
John James Audubon (American, b. Haiti, 1785-1851)
- painter of birds; the country's dominant wildlife artist; leader of Audubon Society (for the protection of birds)
The graceful, bending position of John James Audubon's flamingo allowed the artist to fit his subject - depicted close to actual size - on a single page. The silhouette emphasized the elegant curve of the bird's body and captured its distinctive markings and trademark shade of pink. Audubon's watercolors server as an invaluable record of early American wildlife. |
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Catlin Painting the Portrait of Mah-to-toh-pa - Mandan, 1861-69
George Catlin (American, 1796–1872)
- painter of Indians
Catlin painted this portrait from memory, years after becoming friends with the second chief of the Mandan people. It appears as the title-page illustration of his book about living among the tribes of the Missouri River. Catlin's manuscript - and some 500 paintings - provide testimony not only to the country's fascination with American Indians but also to the artist's ambition to document disappearing frontier cultures. |
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State Capitol, Columbus, Ohio, 1838–1861
Thomas Cole (American, b. England, 1801–1848)
As Americans became more politically active in the mid-1800s, legislators wanted to express their identity in their statehouses. Like many new state capitol buildings, Ohio's Greek Revival statehouse recalled the birthplace of democracy. Construction - which took some 20 years to complete - was also rife with politics among competing architects and designers. |
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The County Election, 1852
George Caleb Bingham (American, 1811–1879)
In this crowded composition, Bingham suggests the inclusiveness of democracy. Young or old, rich or poor, all of the men gathered at the foot of the courthouse on Election Day appeared as equals. The lack of a single dramatic focus emphasized the ideal that no one vote was worth more that another. |
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Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California, 1865
Albert Bierstadt (American, b. Germany, 1830–1902)
This large, panoramic landscape of the Yosemite Valley pulls the viewer into the dramatic scene. Missing in the painting are any people - only a shroud of golden light breaks through the clouds. In Bierstadt's scenario, the viewer discovers that before so magnificent a landscape, human beings dwindle to insignificance. |
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Sans-Arc Lakota Ledger Book, 1880-1881
Black Hawk (Sans Arc Lakota, ca. 1832–1890)
- spiritual leader of a tribe of Lakota Indians
Black Hawk's ledger book provides invaluable visual testimony to the nation's Native American heritage. His drawings revealed intriguing details of the Lakota people - from manner of dress to social customs. In doing so, he captured a way of life fast disappearing as settlers moved West in increasing numbers and tribes were moved to reservations. |
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The Veteran in a New Field, 1865
Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)
This image of a soldier returning after the Civil War refers to both the desolation of war and the country's hope for the future. While the farmer's scythe called to mind the bloodiest battles fought - and lives lost - in fields of grain, the bountiful crop of golden wheat could also be seen as a Christian symbol of salvation. Even in the aftermath of the worst disasters, Winslow Home seems to say, life has the capacity to restore itself. |
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Abraham Lincoln, President, U.S., 1809-1865, February 5, 1865
Alexander Gardner (American, b. Scotland, 1821–1882)
Looking older than 55 years, Lincoln seemed more like a regular person than a president in his dark suit, white shirt, and crooked bowtie. Alexander Gardner, known for his candid photographs, did nothing to flatter the president's haggard features. Instead, he let Lincoln's expression reveal his weary and worried countenance during the last long weeks of the Civil War. |
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Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial, 1884–1897
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, 1848–1907)
The Shaw Memorial, in Boston Common, depicts a resonant, courageous act of the Civil War, in which the first regiment of African American soldiers recruited for the Union Army fought a doomed battle on a South Carolina fortress. Although Colonel Robert Shaw, on horseback, is prominent, the bronze relief is the first American memorial dedicated to individuals united for a cause, rather than a single American hero. |
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Quilts of the 19th and 20th Centuries
Various Artists
A thrifty way to make use of leftover fabric, at a time when fabric could be scarce and expensive, quilts soon took on aesthetic and social dimensions in the hands of their makers in every region of America. Ingenuity, abstract invention, and the traces of changing American technology are revealed in the quilts handed down through families and displayed in museums today. |
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John Biglin in a Single Scull, ca. 1873
Thomas Eakins (American, 1844-1916)
On Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River, rowing was a democratic and passionately followed sport. John Biglin was a superstar athlete of the time, and the depiction of the rower in excellent racing form, at the precise moment before dipping the oars, reveals his dedication and strength in competition. |
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Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, 1876–1877 (two views)
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903)
Commissioned by a wealthy Londoner to create a dining room suitable to display a strong Chinese porcelain collection, James McNeill Whistler quickly imposed his individual vision on the pro- ject. Although the project generated quarrels over looks and price, today it stands as a unique testament to the power of beauty and art from several cultures. |
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Portrait of a Boy, 1890
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925)
John Singer Sargent painted this well-known image of the young Homer Saint-Gaudens as an intimate portrait for his friend, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who was the boy’s father. In this and all his portraits of wealthy American youth, Sargent abandoned the sentimental approach of his contemporaries and painted them more naturalistically, with a keen, psychologically penetrating eye. In this image, he captures the impatience of the beautifully dressed young Homer with the boy’s expression and slumping pose. |
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Allies Day, May 1917, 1917
Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935)
When America officially entered World War I, the nation largely regarded it as cause for support and celebration. Along New York’s Fifth Avenue, flags of the allied nations were hung in a welcoming gesture, creating a patriotic pattern of red, white, and blue. Childe Hassam prominently placed the American flag, affirming his belief that Amer- ica was now engaged in a morally imperative “fight for democracy,” as he put it, throughout the world. |
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Brooklyn Bridge, New York, 1929, printed ca. 1970
Walker Evans (American, 1903–1975)
The Brooklyn Bridge was hailed as a marvel of American engineering ingenuity. When it was built in 1883, its two towers were the tallest structures in the Western Hemisphere. Photographer Walker Evans turned its bold form and sweeping lines into a classic American image, both an icon of modernity and a monument that belongs to history. |
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Autumn Landscape, 1923–24
Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848–1933)
Originally created for the Gothic revival mansion of Boston real estate magnate Loren Delbert Towle, Tiffany’s composition was divided into lancet windows, reminiscent of a medieval cathedral. The traditional subject matter, a mountain stream flowing into a placid pool, is infused with strong spiritual overtones. The window was designed to al- ter in reaction to the changing intensity of natural light. |
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The Boating Party, 1893-94
Mary Cassatt (American, 1844–1926)
At first glance, viewers see a familiar, reverently painted family scene. Yet the details hint at an underlying tension, as well as the strictures of late 19th-century society. This picture is somewhat of a statement about the very male dominated society that the artist lived in. |
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Brooklyn Bridge, ca. 1919-20
Joseph Stella (American, b. Italy, 1877–1946)
To Joseph Stella, this structure was the “shrine containing all the efforts of the new civilization of America.” His Futurist rendition of the Brooklyn Bridge was inspired by a night alone on its promenade, surrounded by New York’s noises and pulsating colors, feeling both hemmed in and spiritually uplifted by the city. |
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American Landscape, 1930
Charles Sheeler (American, 1883–1965)
This bucolic title belies the painting’s subject matter: a lone, anonymous figure dwarfed in an enormous sea of factories. According to Charles Sheeler, factories had become a “substitute for religious expression.” At the time of its creation, the painting was viewed as depicting the triumph of American ingenuity. |
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The Chrysler Building, 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, New York, 1926–1930
William Van Alen (American, 1883–1954)
The competitive climate of 1920’s Manhattan drove the creation of this building, which ultimately surpassed even the Eiffel Tower in height. Van Alen made it distinctive through inventively applied Art Deco design, using machine-age motifs such as hubcaps and radiator caps, and American eagle heads in place of traditional gargoyles. |
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House by the Railroad, 1925
Edward Hopper (1882–1967)
-known for his unsentimental depictions of urban isolation, solitary buildings, and commonplace landscapes.
As the railroad tracks rattle by a once-grand Victorian home, so intersect the themes of modern progress and historical continuity. The painting’s bleakness suggests that Ed- ward Hopper found little to celebrate in America’s post-World War I urbanization. |
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Fallingwater (Kaufmann House, Mill Run, Pa.), 1935–39
Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867–1959)
- organic architecture (harmony between a building and the natural world)
How can one enjoy a civilized life within nature? Frank Lloyd Wright responded with American ingenuity to create one of the most original and groundbreaking buildings in modern architecture. The dwelling is sus- pended above a waterfall and nestled into a mountain- side, blending modern conveniences with views that make it appear to be a part of nature itself. |
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The Dove, 1964
Romare Bearden (American, 1914–1988)
Created during the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, this collage depicts a bustling city neighborhood with a serene bird at its center. It also marked a new artistic direction for Romare Bearden, who for the remainder of his career continued to create collages often referred to as “visual poetry.” |
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The Migration of the Negro Panel no. 57, 1940–41
Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917–2000)
Inspired by the musical storytelling of West Africa’s griots, Lawrence employed a painted and written narrative to invoke how African-American families “came up” from the South to settle in cities such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. |
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The Sources of Country Music, 1975
Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889–1975)
Adorning the walls of Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, this mural has five distinct scenes depicting the music of ordinary Americans. It preserves an image of American folkways that were rapidly disappearing, from barn dances to church spirituals to Appalachian ballads. Benton was 85 when he painted this mural; it was his final work. |
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Migrant Mother and Children, February 1936
Dorothea Lange (American, 1895–1965)
- A photographer for FDR's Resettlement Administration, Lange was hired to document the lives of poverty- stricken migrant workers in California during the Great Depression.
This iconic photograph of a 32-year-old impoverished mother and her three children does not show a single detail of the destitute pea pickers’ camp where they lived. Still, it evokes the uncertainty and despair resulting from continual poverty. Featured in newspapers nationwide, this photo and others from the camp shocked America’s conscience and spurred the federal government to ship 20,000 pounds of food to California migrant workers. |
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Freedom of Speech, The Saturday Evening Post, February 20, 1943
Norman Rockwell (American, 1894–1978)
- A well-known illustrator for one of America’s most popular magazines, The Saturday Evening Post
With America fully engaged in World War II, President Roosevelt’s administration blanketed the nation with messages about four essential human freedoms at the core of de- mocracy. The messages failed to gain traction until Norman Rockwell put them into portraits. This painting, the first of the four, helped spur the nation to action. More than one million people saw Rockwell’s works during a nationwide tour, which helped to sell more than $133 million in war bonds. |
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Selma-to-Montgomery March for Voting Rights in 1965, 1965
James Karales (American, 1930–2002)
- photojournalist who covered significant events of that turbulent decade, such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, for which his image of the Selma march has become an icon.
On March 25, 1965, 25,000 participants concluded a
four-day, 54-mile march for voting rights in Montgomery, Alabama. Transcending its primary function as a record of the event, James Karales’s photograph illustrates how the desire for freedom is the shared heritage of all Americans. It is also a testament to Karales’s ability to capture a timeless image from a fleeting moment—one that still haunts the American conscience. |
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Cityscape I, 1963
Richard Diebenkorn (American,1922–1993)
- American landscape painter
The high viewpoint in this landscape moves the observer above and over parcels of land, fitting them into complex shapes that lock together like a puzzle. Cityscape I is a combination of a closely observed, actual location (the left half) and an invented landscape (the right). Richard Diebenkorn compels viewers to think about man’s ef- fect on the natural world and leaves us with an impression of a landscape that has been civilized—but only in part. |
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Ladder for Booker T. Washington, 1996
Martin Puryear (American, b. 1941)
Suspended above the floor and anchored by almost undetectable wires, the 36-foot Ladder seems to float in space as it rises and abruptly narrows at the top. The artistic meta- phor of a ladder not easily climbed dovetails with the contradictions in the legacy of slave-turned-educator Booker T. Washington. The title of Washington’s autobiography, Up from Slavery, is a direct reference to his ascent to a richer existence, both materi- ally and psychologically. |
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