OPINION ESSAYS When you think of American Art vs.

the European Old Masters grand manner style What various themes or American artists focus d traditions in Europe reate pictures of the lustrate your ideas. iconography comes to mind? What kinds of painting do the on as opposed to the European artists? Did the establishe help or hinder the American artists Who were looking to c new world? Give a few examples and names from the text to il

When I think of American Art and European Old Masters I tend to notice the diffe rences as well similarities between them. After all American art originated from European art and learned from the Old Masters. European art tends to refer to t he cultural and historical art traditions that came before the time period of ar tist or the painting/subject. Thus, theres more of a focus on conveying a feeling or sense around the art rather than the subject. The subject would be placed in surroundings displaying larger than life imagery. Meanwhile, American artists a re more focused on the accurate portrayal of what is in front of the artist. The y played great attention to the minute details of the subject in front of them. Their paintings were extremely realistic. Americans sought to create a new identity for themselves in the art community. Th ey wanted to express their unique customs and qualities that they have developed . They achieved this by taking the style of romanticism and naturalism, incorpor ating it into a style focusing on the landscapes of the New World. This style was very realistic and detailed portrayals of the American landscape. Transcendental ism highlighted the inspirational foundations of the amazing resources and terri tories that were specifically American, to which these painters ran to to paint. After the War of 1812, landscape painting came to prominence, symbolizing Americ a s unique natural resources and vast territory. For some American artists, the nations very soil seemed to hold the key to cultural independence and individual creative genius. From 1825 until the advent of the Civil War, American nationali sm expressed itself in terms of a diverse unity of specific locales and regional cultures, interconnected by the new systems of transportation and communication . During the second third of the nineteenth century, landscape paintings of Amer ican scenery also reached a wide middle class audience. For city residents confi ned by congested streets and a relatively polluted, noisy environment wanted som ething from the natural landscape of America to soothe tense nerves and uplift d epressed spirits. Landscapes encouraged the nationalist love of Americas diverse beauties and scenic views. During the 1st half of the nineteenth century, painte rs interpreted the American landscape in metaphorical terms as a reliable moral, religious compass for mapping the nations material and spiritual destin. Birth o f the Hudson River School by Thomas Cole may be traced to the 1825 Erie Canal op ening. Influenced by his romantic idealism, some of Cole s followers created cou ntryside, tranquil views, while others carefully painted what they saw. School o f painting were influenced by romanticism painted lush natural landscapes took E uropean styles in a new direction No site seemed to signify more the concept of America as God s Promised Land tha n Niagara Falls. It would become a scared icon of American nationalism. In, 180 8 John Trumbull painted View of the Falls of Niagara from Under Table Rock. Whil e Thomas Cole painted View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm in 1836 and in 1834 he painted The Course of Empire; The Savage State both using realistic landscape techniques as well as having deepened moral and spiritual meanings behind them than just the scenery itself. American art has been deeply influenced by the European styles and Old M asters but almost always added their own unique twists to them. They then develo ped their own styles and identities as America became larger and more advanced a s well as more educated. What is the Freedom Trail? Why is it such an important part of American Colonial History? Describe at least 3 or 4 of the landmarks/monuments. Also how did Bost

on get the nickname Athens of America? The Freedom Trail is 2.5 mile walk through two and a half centuries of American history in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is comprised of 16 historical site s, starting in the Boston Commons all the way to the Bunker Hill Monument in Cha rlestown. The tour is about 2-3 hours in length but usually takes up the whole d ay since there is so much to look at and learn. The importance of this trail is immense. It consists of a collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, buryi ng grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the Ameri can Revolution and more. A few landmarks/monuments on the Freedom Trail are the Old Granary Burial Grounds which is a cemetery from 1660. It is the resting plac e of many historical figures, including three signers of the Declaration of Inde pendence, eight governors and five victims of the Boston Massacre. Another monum ent on the Freedom Trail is The State House which was designed by Charles Bulfin ch, a famous Bostonian Architect. It was completed in 1798 and is considered to be Bulfinchs finest work. Another landmark is the Old South Meeting House which i s the location where the angry colonists met on December 16, 1773 leading to the Boston Tea Party. The final landmark to be discussed is the Paul Revere house. It is the oldest house in Boston, and located in Bostons North End. It is also wh ere Revere started his famous ride. These 4 landmarks/monuments are just one fou rth of the important sites on the Freedom Trail. A less known nickname for Boston is the nickname Athens of America. Boston got thi s nickname as a result of its great cultural and intellectual influences. Americ ans learned to associate the ancient Greek city-states with the origins of repub lican government and of Western civilizations and the arts. By 1825, Boston was no longer a town where the wealthy and learned could assume leadership roles in town meetings. This nickname was very fitting because Boston in colonial times w as a mecca for such art and intellectual communities.