Regionalism (art)
American Regionalism is an American
Rise
Before World War II, the concept of
American Scene Painting
American Scene Painting is an umbrella term for American Regionalism and Social Realism otherwise known as Urban Realism. Much of American Scene Painting conveys a sense of nationalism and romanticism in depictions of everyday American life. This sense of nationalism stemmed from artists' rejection of modern art trends after World War I and the Armory Show. During the 1930s, these artists documented and depicted American cities, small towns, and rural landscapes; some did so as a way to return to a simpler time away from industrialization, whereas others sought to make a political statement and lent their art to revolutionary and radical causes. The works which stress local and small-town themes are often called "American Regionalism", and those depicting urban scenes, with political and social consciousness are called "Social Realism".[4][5] The version that developed in California is known as California Scene Painting.
Regionalist Triumvirate
American Regionalism is best known through its "Regionalist Triumvirate" consisting of the three most highly respected artists of America's Great Depression era: Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Curry. All three studied art in Paris, but devoted their lives to creating a truly American form of art. They believed that the solution to urban problems in American life and the Great Depression was for the United States to return to its rural, agricultural roots.[4]
Grant Wood
Wood, from
Thomas Hart Benton
Benton was a painter, illustrator, and lithographer from
John Steuart Curry
Curry, from
American Modernism
A debate over who and what would define American art as Modernism began with the 1913
Decline
When World War II ended, Regionalism and Social Realism lost status in the art world. The end of World War II ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity, and the Cold War brought a change in the political perception of Americans and allowed Modernist critics to gain power. Regionalism and Social Realism also lost popularity among American viewers due to a lack of development within the movement due to the tight constraints of the art to agrarian subject matter. Ultimately, this led to abstract expressionism winning out the title of American Modernism, and becoming the new prominent and popular artistic movement.[11]
Importance
Regionalism limited the spread of abstract art to the
Influence
Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth were the primary successors to Regionalism's natural realism. Rockwell became widely popular with his illustrations of the American family in magazines. Wyeth on the other hand painted Christina's World, which competes with Wood's American Gothic for the title of America's favorite painting.[12]
Regionalism has had a strong and lasting influence on popular culture, particularly in America. It has given America some of its most iconic pieces of art that symbolize the country. Regionalist-type imagery influenced many American children's book illustrators such as
Norman Rockwell's Freedom from Want, 1943, was painted during the middle of the United States' involvement in World War II. The painting is comparable with the traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. During this time families around the United States were having to ration food, their sons were sent to fight overseas, and war bonds were being sold by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Taking inspiration from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Four Freedoms: State of the Union Address from January 1941, Rockwell would create this work that would be used as propaganda. It would be transformed into prints and appear in four issues of the Saturday Evening Post during 1943, and would be used by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to encourage the selling of war bonds. Through this he was able to reach a much greater audience than many other Regionalist painters would be able to in their time.[14]
Notable paintings
- American Gothic painted by Grant Wood in 1930, now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. He found inspiration in a Carpenter Gothic-style farm house in Eldon, Iowa, and used his dentist and sister as models for the people.
- Whitney Museum of American Art. The painting was based on a scene Curry witnessed in 1915 when the creeks were dried up and the only suitable method for baptism was the water tank.
- The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere painted by Grant Wood in 1931, since been sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, although it has not been on view since 2017. Woods was inspired by the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
- Freedom from Want painted by Norman Rockwell in 1943, now a part of the Norman Rockwell Museums permanent collection in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Rockwell was inspired to paint this, one of a series of four paintings known as the Four Freedoms Series, by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address, known as Four Freedoms.
Notable artists
- Thomas Hart Benton (1889–1975)
- John Rogers Cox (1915–1990)
- John Steuart Curry (1897–1946)
- Margot Peet (1903–1995)
- Edna Reindel (1894–1990)
- Norman Rockwell (1894-1978)
- Grant Wood (1891–1942)
- Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009)
References
- ^ "Regionalism". Oxford Art Online. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ "Regionalism". The Oxford Companion to Western Art. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ISBN 9780520231993.
- ^ a b "American Scene Painting – American Regoionalism and Social Realism". www.arthistoryarchive.com. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ISBN 0-275-46620-5.
- ^ Wood, Grant (1935). Revolt Against the City. Iowa City: Clio Press.
- ^ "Benton, Thomas Hart". Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ "Curry, John Steuart". Oxford Art Online. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ "Curry, John Steuart". The Oxford Companion to Western Art. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ "Hogs Killing a Snake | The Art Institute of Chicago". www.artic.edu. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ a b "Collections". www.siouxcityartcenter.org. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Regionalism: Mid-West American Scene Painting". www.visual-arts-cork.com. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ "Kansas State Capitol – Online tour – Tragic Prelude – Kansas Historical Society". www.kshs.org. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ "American Regionalism - Important Paintings". The Art Story. Retrieved December 9, 2021.