American Paintings: Landscapes and Cityscapes

Visit hillsdale.edu/course to view the paintings referenced in this lecture.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah Regan and professor emeritus of art Sam Knecht discuss the unique character of American landscape paintings.

Great artists perceive something that is difficult to capture and portray it with a beauty that makes it easier for us to grasp. These American paintings present the American character and make us proud to be Americans. This course explores inspiring portraits of statesmen, cherished images of common citizens, breathtaking landscapes of the American countryside, the hidden beauty of America’s city streets, and harrowing but fortifying glimpses of battle. American art is characterized by honesty. These artists attempt to balance a faithful replica of reality with a depiction of the ideal we seek. The color, light, and movement captured in brushstrokes on canvas provide a unique glimpse of the American character.  

America’s sprawling countryside, majestic waterfalls, and soaring mountains inspire our artists to capture the freedom that suffuses the very air. Bustling cities, meanwhile, are fertile settings for presenting the beauty of everyday life.

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