The Nation Makers by the great American artist Howard Pyle (1853-1911). This cover illustration was done for the edition of Collier's Weekly June 2, 1906. It shows the battle torn American levies advancing bravely upon their British oppressors.
Don't get me wrong, I love Pyle but he was no relaistic painter. Look at his pirates or knights. These patriots are way too (stylish) ragged, too proud, too happy to die. It's also pre-Hollywood. If you are interested in realism, please have a look at the already legendary 1964 docudrama Culloden by Peter Watkins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR3GMbectzg
There is no happy dying, just a bloody cruel slaughtering and terrified people. Could make you cry.
History painting dates back to the Renaissance and was long considered to be the "grand genre". Nevertheless it has its peak in the 19th century forged by Neoclassicism and Romanticism. There it became the artistic contribution in the process of the construction of National Identities of the European and American nations.
At the same time history painting under the influence of historism pretended to be "realistic", to show history how it has been. Above all it was this pretension that led to the great failure of History painting AND Realism at the end of the century.
When artists and their public realized that telling history always will be subjective and a painting will always be an illusion Realism and history painting lost their ground to modern painting.
It's one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteWhy "myth"? Did the event not happen or not happen the way the artist depicted it?
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I love Pyle but he was no relaistic painter. Look at his pirates or knights.
ReplyDeleteThese patriots are way too (stylish) ragged, too proud, too happy to die. It's also pre-Hollywood.
If you are interested in realism, please have a look at the already legendary 1964 docudrama Culloden by Peter Watkins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR3GMbectzg
There is no happy dying, just a bloody cruel slaughtering and terrified people.
Could make you cry.