Existing comment:
Post-Civil War Pluralism: Realism and Impressionism:
The later 19th century saw the emergence of multiple styles and subjects in American painting. IN a significant departure from the anecdotal genre scenes and romantic landscapes of the antebellum era, realist painting influenced by the burgeoning medium of photography was characterized by highly individualized representations of people and dynamic compositions that actively engaged the viewer. Artists often featured the increasingly urban, ethnically diverse populace that resulted from dramatic changes in the social fabric of American life, notably accelerated industrialization and immigration.
Also during this period, an increasing number of American painters adopted Europe as their home, whether temporarily or permanently. Some trained in the conservative art academies while others embraced Impressionism, becoming important conduits of the new style to their stateside contemporaries. Unlike their academically trained counterparts who rendered meticulous genre scenes in an often dark palette, American Impressionist focused on airy landscapes and views of leisure-class women engaged in genteel activities. Gilded Age magnates of industry, commerce, and banking often commissioned and collected these tranquil, nostalgic antidotes to the stresses and strains of the era's fast-faced and often turbulent modern life. |