Art & Literature at the Turn of the Century: Breaking the Mold

      At the turn of the century the world was set on a cliff, poised to embrace a new chapter in history. The turn of the century offered a closure to old world ideals and beliefs, opening a new door to industrial expansion and life apart from restriction, expectations, and oppression. All of life was thrown off that cliff, or perhaps jumped with open arms, and likewise art and literature led the way.

      At the end of the Victorian era, thought had changed. This was the end of agricultural life and a shift to a more industrious society. There was a rapid change in what was consider moral and appropriate, as well as a shift in religious thought and practices. It would seem that the repressive and restrictive Victorian idealism had driven some to the brink, and now they were braking free.
      Starting in the 1870s, writers began to refuse moral representation, preferring their new brand of light. This often took the shape of a rebirth in prose fantasy. Such works as Robert Lewis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1886 and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 display this return to the imaginative and fantastic.

Charles Darwin

      Along with the attack on morals and tradition, marriage and the roles of women also came under scrutiny. The Victorian woman was quite oppressed, not
only in her roles as a wife and woman, but also in her way of dress, speech, and manner. All of this was considered invalid during the braking away from tradition. During this time, more and more female writers receive attention, and the idea of women in society was altered completely.
      With the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species in 1859, the religious world was turned on its head. Some writers took aim on religious subject-mater and attacked old-world ideals. Thomas Hardy was particularly influenced by this schism.

      Along with writers, artists too began to rebel against old-world idealism and

1905 "Open Window, Collioure" By Henri Matisse

tradition, adjusting to this new and industrious society. Ever since the development of the camera in the 1800s, art had been shifting. With the creation of photography, art was forced to preserve itself by adapting new styles and techniques to cope with the shift in fast paced growth of society. Photography threatened to extinguish art as it grew more advanced; the camera could capture an image much quicker and cheaper than could an artist capture the same image. This put many portraitists out of business, replaced by portrait studios. This inspired artists to revert to a more dreamy state of mind.
      Since the camera could now capture images quickly and accurately, art decided to capture images in fuzzy and fogy representations of life. We see this change with Expressionism and Impressionism. These differing styles took images and contorted them into hazy visions that seemed "out of focus" to some.

1907 "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" By: Pablo Picasso

      The art world continued to shift as time went on, especially in the art capital of world, Paris. The Salon in France is a showing based on traditional ideals. But when Henri Matisse entered the scene, all this changed. Matisse led a short-lived movement known as Fauvism in the early 1900s. This movement would span a whole new generation of abstract artists and movements. Fauvism, labeling the movement as the art of "wild beasts," took shape as a while and passionate use of color in unpredictable and new ways. This wild use of color broke down all expectations of what art is and what it can accomplish. The Fauvism movement would later in inspire such artists and movements as Picasso and Cubism, Duchamp and Dadaism, and Dali and Surrealism.
      With new technologies also came new mediums of art. When the camera hit the scene, some artists began to ponder the artistic potential of the new device. It would take several decades for photography to become recognized as a legitimate form of art however. Very few people - very few artists - acknowledged photography as an art form, but with the rapidly
changing state of the world, photography eventually became a recognized medium of artistic expression in the twentieth century. This new medium was embraced by such artists as Alfred Stieglitz, Holland Day, Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, and Oscar Gustave Rejlande.

1931 "The Persistence of Memory" By: Salvador Dali

      With the changing world at the turn of the century, art and literature team up once again to focus the ideals of a society in change, giving a new voice for all to hear.

Presidential Portraiture

     Before the development and widespread usage of the camera, portraiture was the only way to capture a person's image. For centuries portraits were only available to the very wealthy, such as royal families or aristocrats; and since 1789, the list has included U.S. Presidents.
      For decades many people could only see their president though portraits, busts, stamps, and the like, there were no photographs or television specials to show what the president looked like. When it comes to depicting a nation's leader, there is little room for error; only the most skilled and professional artists come to produce true likenesses of their leaders. For a presidential portraitist, the task of capturing the President is no small matter.

      When it comes to presidential portraiture,there are many factors that play into how the image should taken on and captured. The most important factor is of course mood. What mood should be conveyed in the portrait? Some presidential portraits show the President as a strong figure while others show a more comfortable and compassionate persona. All of these moods need to be appropriate to the President as these portraits show the nation their most elite officer or leader; the President is not only a figurehead, but someone the nation turns to in crisis, and the image of the President is very crucial.

1800 Thomas Jefferson By Rembrandt Peale

      This portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale depicts the President as a compassionate and learned man, capable of greatness yet still only human. Jefferson's face is stern and serious, yet his eyes are soft and inviting. His brow is set and shows that Jefferson is man of intellect and great wisdom. The President is dressed in  serious black, though there is a soothing, pale light peaking from behind his shoulders, giving him an overall gentle feel.

1884 Rutherford B. Hayes By Daniel Huntington

      Here, the President, Rutherford B. Hayes, is portrayed as a very serious man and a very serious President. Hayes is standing in a very strong pose, his eyes set straight ahead, and his demeanor is fierce. One arm is at the President's side while the other is positioned on a stack of papers, showing that the President means business.

1869 Abraham Lincoln By P. A. Healy

     This strong portrait of Abraham Lincoln, painted by George P. A. Healy, captures the President in a grim and dire air. Here, Lincoln is caught in deep though, sitting in a regal armchair. The President looks so lost in thought that he is looking away to the side, his hand on his chin. The dark shades of brown, black, and red give the portrait a gloomy atmosphere. This dark portrait is befitting to this president considering his term during the Civil War, and his assassination. P. A. Healy had captured President Lincoln as a strong and thoughtful man.

      Portraits of the American Presidents were very important back in their day, and remain important today. Without these portraits, the American people may never have known the face of their President.

Here are a few of the other Presidential portraits:

1835 Andrew Jackson By Ralph E. W. Earl

1895 Benjamin Harrison By Eastman Johnson

1911 William Howard Taft By Anders Zorn

1947 Harry S. Truman By Martha Greta Kempton

1970 John F. Kennedy By Aaron Shikler

Paul-Gustave Doré: Engraving the Dreamscape

 

From The Bible

     Paul-Gustave Doré, or simply Gustave Doré, was the premier printmaker and engraver of the mid-to-late 19th century. He is the most famous, if not the best engraver of the century. He is most well known for his illustrations in The Divine Comedy, The Inferno, and Don Quixote. Though Doré was also a
sculptor and later a painter, he is most well known for his vivid and imaginative woodcuts depicting gruesome and horrific scenes depicted in the books they represented.

      Gustave Doré was born in Strasbourg France in 1832 (died in Paris, 1883). Throughout his lifetime, Doré made a living through his art by printing in local journals and papers. But he would not see fame and recognition until he moved to Paris in 1847. Doré would work making weekly lithograph caricatures for the Journal pour Rire from 1848-51. From this platform, Doré would launch his life into the fame that take him.

From The Inferno

      In his lifetime, Doré would come to illustrate some 90 books (though some suggest the number of illustrated books could number up to 200 or more). Most of the work Doré would produce centered around historical and religious texts. His style and taste was a slight bit morbid, as he had a passion and interest in the macabre and grotesque. This style connected with the epic, dark, and dreamlike Romantic writers. Doré's art can be found in such works as The Divine Comedy, The Inferno, Paradise Lost, The Raven, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Fables de La Fontaine, and even The Bible.

      Gustave Doré was giving visions to literature, bringing to life the books that he touched. Doré took the images set fourth by great writers and gave them wings on which to fly and mouths for which to breath. Doré's engravings give a new voice and a new depth to literature, setting free the dreamlike images within the pages.

From Fables de La Fontaine

From The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner

From The Raven

From Paradise Lost

American Civil War Poets & Painters

      The American Civil War was a trying time for the U.S. This harrowing ordeal pitted brother against brother in a bloody battle of dispute. Within these few years the American nation was plagued with sadness, pain, and hardship for those involved. Some fought for freedom, some fought for justice, some for their homeland, and some for themselves. Though this time is behind America, the beating of the war drums can still be felt. The feel of battle can be imagined through the war poems and literature of solders and bystanders; the harsh aftermath and repair of the post-war people can been understood with each brushstroke of the veteran artist. We can remember those lost and what they fought for when we delve deeper into the art and literature of the American Civil War.

1861 "Our Banner in the Sky" By Frederic Church

      When it comes to Civil War poetry there are several styles and subjects. Some poets write about the call to arms or unity for the nation, others write about the roles of women in the war, national pride, or tales of the individual solder. Some of the most famous poets of the time include Walt Whitman, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Herman Melville.
      Whitman's most popular poem, "O Captain, My Captain," was inspired by the death of Abraham Lincoln. This poem was included in Whitman's collection Sequel to Drum-Taps and again in Leaves of Grass.
      Greenleaf's poem "Barbara Frietchie" is a prime example of how some Northern people viewed the Southern rebels. In this poem, Greenleaf describes a picturesque landscape in the North threatened by General Lee and his "barbarian" army.
      Herman Melville collected a folio of work in his 1866 Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War. Within this

Color guard of the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

collection there are numerous examples of Civil War life and remembrance, such as "The Portent" and "Shiloh." Some of Melville's poems express a hope for a united nation, others question the war and what it might accomplish. Some celebrate the solder, and others remember whose who have been lost.

      Many poems were written during the Civil War, and many more were written post-war. These post-Civil War poems feature a broad selection of topics, much like the works written during the war. Some were about piecing together a broken nation and remembering the fallen soldiers, other were about feelings of doubt and hostility on both sides of the war.

John Greenleaf Whittier

      "Acceptation," a poem by Mrs. Margret J. Preston, expresses the relief of the Confederacy that the war
is finally over. Though there is peace and the fighting if over, there are still some feeling of resentment and hostility, but more than anything, their is peace and rest.
      Abram Joseph Ryan, under the pseudonym "Moina," wrote "The Conquered Banner" at the end of the war. This poem is about General Lee's surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse and memorializes the failure of Southern war efforts.

      Civil War art and artists also played their part to depict stories of the Civil War. The paintings and other works of Civil War era artists depict a broken landscape and the challenges of once again uniting a nation. Artists such as Winslow Homer, Sanford Gifford, Frederic Church, and Eastman Johnson helped to pain the post-Civil War America as the people saw it.

1866 "Prisoners from the Front" By Winslow Homer

     One of the strongest images produced of the post-Civil War attitude is "Prisoners from the Front" by Winslow Homer. This painting exhibits four Confederate soldiers in the foreground surrendering to a Union brigadier general; a broken landscape filled with weary soldiers fills the background. The Confederate soldiers are tied and tattered, battered and disgruntled. The youthful Union solder featured at the right is confident and assured, glad that the war is over and glad to be on the "winning" side. This painting exhibits the feelings of surrender and weariness that followed the war. It also showcases the confusion and hostilities felt by some of the soldiers.

1871 "The Wounded Drummer Boy" By Eastman Johnson

      Eastman Johnson's painting "The Wounded Drummer Boy" is an exceptional display of Southern pride, confidence, defiance, and courage. In this painting, a young, wounded drummer boy has been hoisted up on the shoulders of a Confederate soldier. As the story goes, during the battle of Antietam a young drummer was wounded in the leg and asked a Confederate soldier to carry him onward so that he could continue drumming for for his unit. Johnson began work on this painting in 1864, the year he showcased the drawings, and finished painting it in 1871.

      Together, the poets and artists of the American Civil War help show the world today what it was like on the battlefield of yesteryear.

Artist Profile: Elizabeth Bouguereau, the Salon Vanguard

Elizabeth Bouguereau

      Elizabeth Jane Gardner Bouguereau (1837-1922), second wife of the famous William Bouguereau, was in many ways a vanguard of the Paris Salon scene. She was one of the many Americans artists to make the voyage to Paris to study their trade after the Civil War. She was also instrumental in changing the Salon forever.

      Paris was and has been the the capital of the art words for

1887 "The Farmer's Daughter"

centuries. Artists from around the world flocked to France to study art and become an accomplished and accepted artist. However, many art institutes and galleries did not accept female artists. Elizabeth Bouguereau sought to change this. Born in Rockingham New Hampshire in 1837, Elizabeth longed to become a famous artist. She found her chance in 1864 and set off to Paris. She "attended" the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. Though the academy barred women admittance, Elizabeth refused to surrender, enrolling in private classes. Here she studied under the guidance and teachings of William Adolphe Bouguereau, one of the most beloved artists of the time (whom she would later wed). Elizabeth studied classic works as well as contemporary art in Paris, developing a large portfolio of work. Elizabeth's paintings were shown in 25 Paris Salons, and she won a bronze medal in the 1889 Exposition Universelle. But this did come easy.

"The Dove Fanciers"

      In 1879, Elizabeth became engaged to William Bouguereau (then married in 1896). William Bouguereau, whose influence had a strong impact on Elizabeth, painted neo-classical scenes of children and domestic life, celebrated by the public. Elizabeth persuaded her husband to use his power and influence as President of the Academy, Head of the Salon, and President of the Legion d'Honneur to allow women artists to be a part of the Salon. Elizabeth was a strong woman, and with her dedication and her husband's position, female artists began to get the credit they deserved. Elizabeth Bouguereau was one of the strongest forces behind the push for acceptance of female artists into the Salon, if not behind the scenes.

      Though Elizabeth developed a grand collection of work, she is often criticized as having a style too similar to her husband and teacher, William Bouguereau; these criticisms began even in her own lifetime. To these claims Elizabeth said, "I know I am criticized for not more boldly asserting my individuality, but I would rather be known as the best imitator of Bouguereau than nobody!" This statement goes to show just how difficult it was for female artists to make a name for themselves. But thanks to Bouguereau, this is less true today. (For more information and gallery info, visit: http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artist.php?artistid=372 ; http://www.nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/elizabeth-jane-gardner-bouguereau)

By Elizabeth Bouguereau

By William Bouguereau

the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts

the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts

Bouguereau

Native American Art: Bridging the Language Barrier

Mayan Petroglyph

      Written language as we have today did not exist in the Native American cultures of pre-Columbian America. Though today many tribes have adapted the Roman alphabet and have developed a written language, the only known native written languages in the Americas belonged to the Maya and Aztecs. The quipu, as they are called, is considered a written language. But what of the rest of America? How did the other tribes and nations communicate?
written language of these two groups were pictographic, based in symbols or hieroglyphs, similar to those found in Egypt. Also, the Incas of Peru developed system of colored ropes and knots, primarily used for counting inventories of trade. These

      All of the Native American Indian tribes and nations had their own unique tongue. They also each had their own rituals and practices. With so many differences in language and custom, how did the tribes of North America communicate effectively? It is known that many of the Native Americans used a form of sign language to communicate. Smoke signals were also used to communicate messages. The only issues with these lines of communication is that they could only communicate simple or predetermined messages, such as, "danger ahead" or "seek shelter." With these difficult language barriers baring effective communication, the tribes turned to art.

      Art for the sake of art was not part of the Native American tradition, all art had a purpose. Most of the

Sand Painting "Home of the Bears"

art created by Native Americans was dedicated to worshiping the gods, and their love and respect for nature. All of their art held this strong belief in the divinity of nature, their sand painting, beadwork, weaving, leather, and pottery.
      The style of work that the Native Americans employed took on the form of many geometric shapes and patterns. With repetition, these shapes became representational of more than just patterns, they became a language in and of themselves that would transcend the language barriers baring communication among the many tribes. The harmony expressed by these works of art helped the Native Tribes to communicate grand ideas in a way that they could not have done before. This art opened up new forms of communication and helped to unite the scattered tribes under one clear image.

For more information visit: http://nativeamerican-art.com/index.html

The Principles of Art Applied to Literature

      The principles of art, sometimes referred to as the principles of composition or the principles of design, are a set of ideals that an artists lives by. Through these principles, the elements of art - shape, color, line, etc. - come together to form a work of art. The artist employs the principles of design to control the elements of their choice, to exercise their will upon a chosen aspect of their composition. For example: An artist might use the principle of Balance to bring their shapes and lines into an aesthetically pleasing arrangement that allows the eye to comfortably wander the canvas. Or perhaps the artist will choose to use Emphasis to illustrate the importance of a certain texture or color. All of these principles are at play in every work of art in any medium, either together, or in singularity. However, it is not only in art that these guiding principles are found. Indeed, these principles of composition can be seen in the works of the skilled writer.

      Allow us to explore the principles of art and their application to literature and writing:

17th Century "Fish Nets Drying in the Sun" By Kaiho Yusho

Rhythm:

      To start things off, let us examine the principle of Rhythm. Rhythm is most easily expressed through the idea of time and cycles. We think of Rhythm in human terms as the passage of time and the rhythmic cycles such as the phases of the moon and the changing of the seasons. The most obvious display of Rhythm is dance and music. But art too uses Rhythm.
      In art, Rhythm is employed by repetition. The repetition of lines, shapes, or textures bring a Rhythm to a piece of art. For example: longer swooping lines add a slow vibration to a work, while short snappy lines invoke quickness and rapidity.
      As for literature, poetry is the prime example of Rhythm in writing. Poetry uses rhyme and meter to arrange words and lines in a rhythmic stance. Many poetic pieces are designed to be read aloud or recited. This natural employment of Rhythm in poetry allows for the poem to flow as the orator reads the lines. Just as lines in art can lend to slower or faster Rhythms, the lies of a poem affect how slow or fast the piece is read. Longer lines give a poem a slower and melodic feel, while short choppy lines add a sense of quickness to the piece.

1931 "Cow's Skull with Calico Roses" By Georgia O'Keeffe

Balance:

      Balance is all about strategic placement. One of the most exemplary American artists to use Balance was Georgia O'Keeffe. By using symmetry, a piece of art can come into balance, adding visual appeal. When it comes to Balance, there are two types to consider: symmetrical Balance and asymmetrical Balance.
      Symmetrical Balance occurs when a piece is nearly perfectly balanced on the center of gravity and the axis. Asymmetrical Balance on the other hand occurs when one portion of a work appears visually heaver than the other.
      Balance in art is used to ensure that the viewer's eye never get caught or stuck in one area. Balance can be used in a similar fashion in literature.
      In writing it is important to keep the attention of the reader, just as it is important in art to keep the interest of viewer. By Balancing a piece of literature the reader should remain interested and alert, not fading away to be lost in the pages. For poetry, meter, as discussed in "Rhythm," can be applied here to Balance. By employing a steady meter, the balance of the lines in a poem should keep the piece in line. Organization of line length, vocabulary, and overall direction, are all elements of Balance in literature.
      For literary works, a writer must walk a steady line on content. To keep a reader interested a writer must not find themselves rambling or stumbling off-topic too often. It is important to remain on the task at hand. However, if a piece is too serious, or too flighty it may fall apart. There are many different ways to balance the mood of a piece of literature. For example, in play-writing, it is common for actors to pause and issue an aside. An aside is a special note from the actor communicated only to the audience. These asides are often comedic and add a release to tension in some cases.

1905-06 "Le Bonheur de Vivre" By Henri Matisse

Unity & Variety:

      Unity and Variety often go hand-in-hand in art. Any piece of art strives to connect Variety in a United format. When thinking of Unity and Variety it is easiest to picture them as a scale or spectrum, one extreme is completely bland and the other is chaotic; it is key for an artist to find the perfect balance between the two.
      The combination of Unity and Variety in once piece can be achieved in several ways. A painter can arrange a Variety of choice colors across their canvas in a way that Unifies the entire theme as a whole. This arrangement closely connects with Balance. Two masters of Unity and Variety are artists Henri Matisse and Jackson Pollock. The key to harmonizing Unity and Variety is finding a balancing point where the Variety of shapes, colors, lines, textures, or light come together to for a coherent Unity. The idea of Unity and Variety is to entertain the viewer's eyes, allowing them to see the balance and placement of different aspects, forcing the eye to follow the work through its entirety.
      In literature, Unity and Variety play a great role in entertaining the reader. As we discussed in "Balance," a piece needs to keep the reader interested. This can be done by  employing a Variety of lines in a work, such as using both longer lines and shorter lines. Or by using a Variety of vocabulary, some lengthy high-class words, with some other more simplistic words. The hardest part about this is finding the right balance. If a piece uses too many long sentences, a reader might become lost or disinterested; use too many short lines and piece might seem too simple and thoughtless. Use the spectrum of Unity and Variety to achieve the best balance for a work of literature.

1814-15 "Execution of the Third of May, 1808" By Francisco de Goya

Emphasis:

      Emphasis is perhaps a very obvious principle, as it should be. Emphasis is the act of placing significance or importance on one part of a piece than on another. This can be done by using light to exemplify and strengthen a specific aspect of the work, or by using complementary colors in stark contrast. In simplest terms, Emphasis adds importance. On the other end of Emphasis is Subordination, the use of downplaying certain aspects so as to make something else seem more important.
      In literature, one of the best tools used to add Emphasis is repetition. The repetition of a certain object or phrase can add importance or relevance to a piece. This can be seen is such works as Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, The Black Cat, or The Masque of the Red Death. These tales all use repetition to Emphasize a certain aspect of the work.

1950 "Le Chariot" By Alberto Giacometti

Scale & Proportion:

      Scale and Proportion are more easily seen in art than in literature, but the significance is nonetheless important. In art, Scale and Proportion are used to add a new element of perspective to something, such as enlarging a simple object to extreme size or distorting the size of a figure's head in comparison to its body.
      In art, as in literature, the whimsical idea of shrunken people or giant worlds has been used for a long time and can be seen in works such as The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and even The Lord of the Rings. However, this is more of content than application.
      When writing, the author must keep in mind their audience and the purpose of their work. It is important to think about the Scale and Proportion of a piece when writing. A good example would be to compare the poetry of Emily Dickinson to Homer's The Iliad or The Odyssey. These two works couldn't be more different in Scale or Proportion. When thinking of what kind of piece is to be written, it is imperative that Scale and Proportion come into thought.


      As we can see, the principles of art can be applied to writing and literature just as they are applied to canvas and clay. By examining art, one can come to understand literature.

Reference material: Mark Getlein: Living with Art

Manifest Destiny & the Image of Westward Expansion

      In short, Manifest Destiny was the belief that America and Americans had a "divine destiny" to settle the lands west of the Mississippi, to tame the Indian and claim the territory for a greater purpose. While there were deep religious, economic, and racial incentives behind westward expansion, we will not investigate this aspect directly. But let us turn our gaze to the images portrayed by pen and paint of this "Manifest Destiny."

John L. O'Sullivan

      The term "Manifest Destiny" was first used and coined by journalist John L. O'Sullivan in 1845 in the Annexation essay in the Democratic Review. In this essay O'Sullivan addressed the issue of the annexation of the Republic of Texas. This first essay attracted little attention. However, months later John O'Sullivan used the famous phrase once again in an essay in the New York Morning News. This essay was directed at the ongoing territorial disputes with Great Britain on Oregon. In this essay O'Sullivan stated, "And that claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us." It was this essay that spurned the notion of a divine mission of westward expansion.

      Manifest Destiny had a very religious background, suggesting that God himself had blessed the American
people and the American West, calling the American people to settle this divine land and cleanse the territory of the "heathen" Indians. Many of the Puritan ministers and leaders were instrumental in inspiring westward expansion and were some of the first to cross the Mississippi and fulfill their divine mission. Many writers idealized the Great West with stories of heroic explorers, epic battles with Native American, the beauty of the expansive landscape, and great tales of wild game. Likewise, artists answered the Manifest Destiny call with their art.

1848 "Boon's First View of Kentucky" By William Ranney

      The great landscape artists of America painted vast and epic landscapes, portraying the divine nature of the natural landscape. The depictions of nature in these paintings hint at the divinity of nature and the purity of the natural world. These artists also used subtle messages that spoke of environmentalist beliefs and the possible destruction that man may bring to the land. With the divine mission of expansion comes the responsibility to protect it. And though the artists and writers would set free images of the heroic and fantastic West as a playground filled with great opportunity and unfathomable beauty, the reality of the Great West was far from ideal. Travelers would often encounter hostile bandits and Indians, suffer from new diseases, and death was a common occurrence when on out on the trail. While the West was a place of grand beauty, it was also a home to great hardship.

      One of the most famous artistic representations of Manifest Destiny comes from artist John Gast in his 1872 piece American Progress. This piece depicts the idea of Manifest

1872 "American Progress" By John Gast

Destiny as an giant angelic woman leading the way westward with a school book in her arm and a star in her hair, more than a little reminiscient of the Stature of Liberty. The divine woman also carries in her arm a coil of power-lines, laying down the line in her wake followed by a railroad and railcar, symbolizing the right of man to civilize the wild land.

      Another painting that speaks of the Manifest Destiny mission is The Oregon Trail, by Albert Bierstadt. "In the year that marked the completion of the first continental railroad, Bierstadt presented a striking allegory of westward expansion. Drawing on his encounter with German immigrants on their way to Oregon, Bierstadt uses the cliffs, trees, and glowing orange-red sky to suggest the spiritual imperative of the move west. The cattle, oxen, and other livestock, along with the covered wagon, create a nostalgic mood. The teepees in the distance are reminders of the Native American presence, but the overall intent of the image is to suggest the centrality of the whites' pioneer experiences to the national character" (Baym C 8).

1869 "The Oregon Trail" By Albert Bierstadt

      While the Manifest Destiny writers wove tales of brave pioneers exploring the glorious wilderness, the artists of the time were inspiring Americans with their largescale landscape paintings and depictions of adventuring heroes. Both were instrumental in instilling in the American people a drive for westward expansion.

Writer Profile: The Cary Sisters

      Alice and Phoebe Cary were sisters, poets, and role models. The two sisters wrote both on their own and together, collecting a folio of wondrous works. Coming from a loving family stricken by near-poverty and blossoming into influential writers and women, Alice and Phoebe Cary fought to secure their names and their livelihoods.

Alice Cary

      Alice, born in 1820, and Phoebe, born in 1824, were children in a large and loving home of nine brothers and sisters. The two sisters were best-friends and were rarely seen apart from one-another. They would share their days together helping their father in field or assisting their mother with care of the younger children. Their parents, Robert and Elizabeth Cary, were very religious, following the teachings of Universalism. Robert and Elizabeth brought their children up under this umbrella of faith and purity. While working in the field, Robert Cary would sing hymnals to his daughters or recite poetry to them, stirring in them the passion of literature. (Edwards)

      Though the Cary household was filled with love and kindness, the family was not well-off. While their Ohio home was rather nice - granted them by Alice and Phoebe's grandfather, Christopher Cary by the government for his service in the Revolutionary War - the income the family raised from farming was just barely enough to survive. The Cary family was only one of the many "frontier families" trying to make a living out West (at this time in American history, Ohio was considered part of the Western Frontier). The Cary family experienced great tragedy and sorrow in their early life on the frontier. In 1833, Rhonda, the eldest Cary sister, died of tuberculosis. Later that same year, Lucy, only three years of age, also passed of tuberculosis. Alice and Phoebe were devastated, they looked up to Rhonda and to see their little sister Lucy pass so young was heartbreaking. Alice would write two poems dedicated to her departed sisters, The Sisters for Rhonda, and My Little One for Lucy. Then perhaps the most tragic death of all befell the Cary family: in 1835, Elizabeth Cary passed away. (Edwards) (Gu)

Phoebe Cary

      Alice and Phoebe loved writing from an early age, a quality passed to them by their parents. Though the girls were not afforded a proper education in their childhood, they were schooled by their mother and father, particularly by Elizabeth. Robert thought the girls poetry, but their mother learned them on writing, history, religion, and even politics. Since the girls did not have much in the way of an education, they often felt inferior to other children. Later in life the sisters would pursue a higher education. (Edwards)

      After the death of Elizabeth, Robert Cary remarried, and for Alice and Phoebe this spelled their doom. Elizabeth had always supported the girls in their effort and passion for writing, but their new stepmother did not take kindly to the girls' "hobby", saying that writing was a "sinful  waste of time" for girls. Alice and Phoebe's new mother practically forbade the girls to write. However, this did not stave their passion for writing. Alice and Phoebe continued to write in their bedrooms at night, writing by candlelight when their stepmother went to sleep. The young sisters would constantly send their work to publishers in secrecy. Finally, in 1838 when the girls were 18 and 14repectfully, they each were published writers. (Edwards)

      Once they were published, Alice and Phoebe continued to write and were published regularly in journals and papers around Ohio. They wrote prolifically, especially Alice, and readers became quite fond of their work. Then in 1850, the sisters came together and published Poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary. This book caught the sisters their first "big break." This publication earned them enough money to move to New York to pursue their future of becoming true big-time writers. (Edwards)

      Alice, the more prolific writer, had great success as a poet, drawing reviews from the great writers of her day; Edgar Allan Poe once complemented Alice for her poem Pictures of Memory as "one of the most musically perfect lyrics in the English language." She also saw success with her sketches on frontier life such as Clovernook, or Recollections of our Neighborhood in the West in 1852 and Pictures of Country Life in 1859. She was also an advocate of justice and women's rights, being nominated as president of the New York Women's Club. Though she was reluctant to accept the position, preferring to display her views in her writing than in public view. (Edwards) (King)

      Phoebe was more open with views on equality than her sister Alice, writing open mockeries of marriage and the treatment of women in her paradises. She was also very outspoken when it came to women's rights. For a shot time, Phoebe was the assistant editor of Susan B. Anthony's newspaper The Revolution. Phoebe Cary was also deeply religious, writing several hymnals and religious verse, some of which became commonplace in many church services. (Edwards)

      Phoebe was also a very caring and compassionate person. In the later of their lives, Alice became very ill, partly due to her extreme daily writing habits, and was bedridden. Phoebe never left her sister's side, ignoring her own health problems. Alice's condition continued to worsen as malaria took hold of her. She finally passed in 1871. Phoebe became very depressed and stopped eating after loosing her best friend and sister. Her friends and family sent her away to the East Coast hoping that the new scene would brighten her spirits. Sadly it did not. Just six months after Alice passed away, Phoebe too departed from our world.

(Edwards)

      The Cary sisters left behind an endearing and enduring legacy. Alice and Phoebe Cary have given this world hundreds of poems and stores to enjoy,  great songs to fill our hearts, and a hope in a brighter future.

Sources:
http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/carysisters.html
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Phoebe_Cary
http://www.librarycompany.org/women/portraits/cary.htm

Transcendentalism & the Hudson River Painters

      When we look at mid-nineteenth century literature the prevalent style of the times was Transcendentalism. Hand-in-hand with the visions and philosophies of the Transcendentalists was a group of artists belonging to the Hudson River School of art, the Hudson River painters. These two groups often shared in the same dream, their goals and themes overlapping. Let's have a closer look, shall we?

Henry David Thoreau

      Transcendentalism was a literary movement that is characterized by an emphasis on intuition and the individual conscience. They believed that these qualities "transcend" experience and serve as better guides to the senses than can logic and reason. The Transcendentalists were heavily influenced by the thoughts and ideologies of the earlier writers of the Romanticism period. Like the Romantic writers, the Transcendentalists praised the individual spirit and the lush beauty of the natural world. To them, divinity was everywhere, within each individual and especially in nature. Among the Transcendentalists were writers such as Henry David Thoreau, W. H. Channing, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Margaret Fuller.

      The Hudson River School was essentially the very first coherent American school of art. Their prime focus was painting the great American landscape, the most popular form of American painting. The movement was set in motion by two of its most famous artists of the time, Thomas Cole and Asher B. Durand. Heeding Emerson's words to "ignore the courtly Muses of Europe," the Hudson River painters set out to create a truly unique form of art, an American art. (Hampson)

1831, "A Wild Scene" By Thomas Cole

      The Hudson River painters were influenced by the divine essence of nature and the sweeping American landscape. Emerson struck a great chord with the Hudson River artists in his 1841 essay Thoughts on Art. He and the Hudson River artists agreed that painting should become a vehicle through which the universal mind could reach the mind of mankind. The Hudson River painters strongly believed that art was an agent of moral and spiritual transformation. The Hudson River painters also recognized the value of the individual and the allure and splendor of nature, often using light as a cleaver tool to communicate the divinity of nature, a style that would later be employed by the artists of the Luminist and Romantic movements. The Hudson River painters set out to create an artistic representation of the very thing the Transcendentalists were writing about. (Hampson)  

1849, "Kindred Spirits" By Asher B. Durand

      The writings and paintings of the mid-nineteenth century share a similar vision and philosophy. The Transcendentalists influenced the art world with their style and message, and the Hudson River painters gave an artistic voice to the ideologies and representations of the Transcendentalist mission. Together these two movements worked in unison to shape the thoughts of mid-nineteenth America.



For more information visit: 
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/icon/hudson.html

The Quill & Palette Adventure

      Welcome to the Quill & Palette adventure! Here at Quill & Palette we are dedicated to preserving the pages and paintings of history together in harmonious balance. Together we will explore various literary and artistic movements throughout time and examine how they relate to one-another. We will share the missions and ideologies of both artists and writers in a journey that will open new vistas and reveal  new horizons full of knowledge and imagination. See how each word and each brushstroke, every dip of the pen and every chip of the chisel, helped to shape our world, together. Welcome to Quill & Palette: The Art of Literature!