Existing comment:
Civil War & Centennial Eras:
American artists of the period rarely pictured the divisive violence and moral discord of this country's Civil War (1861-65) Yet they still found ways to address the conflict and its lingering effects indirectly. Diverse representations of national vistas and personal character both illuminated social tensions and conveyed hope and comfort during the war years.
Following the Civil War, the nation's next watershed cultural event -- the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition -- was held in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy. As the country's first world's fair, it celebrated one hundred years of American ingenuity. The thirty-six foreign nations participating also exposed millions of Americans -- who either attended the exhibition or read about it in countless publications -- to the wider world. The fair's English, Japanese, and Near Eastern pavilions attracted large numbers of visitors and introduced a cultural eclecticism that undermined the stylistic dominance of neoclassicism, particularly in the decorative arts. |