The Art of Vietnam

Doing a quick Google search I came upon the fantastic website, The Art of War…Vietnam as Seen Through the Artwork of Those Who Were There.

The art found there is very interesting…..

This work by Richard Russell Yohnka is haunting…..he states his work is  the depersonalized soldier, the soldier within who has suppressed the emotion of the community of war.

This work is titled Class of ’67 by Charlie Shobe

and this work is The Wound by Ned Broderick

Washington Crossing the Delaware

This painting is Washington Crossing the Delaware, of course.  Elementaryhistoryteacher over at History Is Elementary gives an excellent explanation of this painting......a painting that includes not one but two future U.S. Presidents.

Access her post here.

The National Archives and The American Revolution

The National Archives has a wonderful page set aside for links to all of their works from the American Revolution……a fantatic treasure trove to go through.

You can find the page here.

There you will find such things as

Von Steuben at Valley Forge by G.R. Hall (1858)

The Landing on the Jerseys by British forces by Davies (1776)

Peggy Shippen (Mrs. Benedict Arnold) by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

Michele Felice Corne and the War of 1812

Corne is remembered for his maritime art especially scenes from the War of 1812.

Since there was no actual footage of war action during the 1800s our only graphic source are the many paintings that were created in the years following the events.   We have to be careful, however, because many “historic” paintings romanticize events instead of depicting them accurately.  

However, accuracy reigns in the four paintings Corne painted regarding the action between the USS Constitution and the HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812.

The following four paintings now hang in the U.S. Naval Academy Museum.

The Approach

A frigate sighted by the USS Constitution was determined to be HMS Guerriere.   The words “Not The Little Belt” was painted on one of her topsails.

The Engagement

Guerriere opened fire upon entering range of Constitution, but the Americans managed to hold fire until the two warships were a mere 25 yards apart, at which point a full double-loaded broadside of grape and round shot was fired.

Collision

Over the course of the engagement, the ships collided, and at one point they rotated together counterclockwise while Constitution continued firing broadsides.  Guerriere’s bowsprit became entangled in Constitution’s rigging.   When the two ships pulled apart, the force of the extracting bowsprit sent shockwaves through Guerriere’s rigging.   Her formast soon collapsed and it took the mainmast down with it shortly.

Pulling Away

The result was Guerriere became a dismasted, unmanageable hulk.   A third of her crew were wounded or killed.   The British surrendered and the remaining crew transferred to the USS Constitution.

The Guerriere was not pulled to port and the Americans burned her.

Since many of the British shots rebounded harmlessly off Constitution’s hull she earned the nickname “Old Ironsides”.  

Once the USS Constitution and her crew returned to Boston around the end of August, 1812 the crew discovered the news of their victory had spread like wildfire, and they were hailed as heroes.

Gilbert Stuart

As far as portraits of American presidents, Gilbert Stuart was “da man“!


During his career as an artist he painted portraits of the first six presidents. He was unique in that he worked without sketches and began his work directly on the canvas. President John Adams even commented sitting for Stuart was enjoyable since he allowed his subject to move around during the painting process.

Stuart actually began his career at the age of 12 by painting Dr. Hunter’s Spaniels seen below. The painting is exhibited at Hunter House in Newport, Rhode Island.

Every American touches a bit of Stuart’s art every time they use a dollar bill. The Athenaeum or unfinished portrait of George Washington, seen below, is the image that graces the one dollar bill. Over 130 reproductions were painted by Stuart and his daughters though the original was never completed.

Another Stuart portrait became famous during the War of 1812. The Landsdowne Portrait, seen below, hangs in the East Room of the White House. Along with Paul Jennings, a Madison family slave, Dolly Madison saved the painting of Washington from being destroyed when the British burned the White House in August, 1814.

You can find out more about Gilbert Stuart at his museum page

Why Artful History?

Well, it’s really very simply. I plan on sharing with you about art and the role it plays and HAS played in history.

History is not told just through the written word, but it is expressed through our music and through various forms of art.

History is ARTFULLY told.

From some of the oldest drawings on the cave walls at Lascaux, France which some sources date at 32,000 years old to the Woman From Willendorf or Venus From Willendorf dating from between 22,000 B.C.E. and 21,000 B.C.E. man has tried to tell his story through art. Those efforts continue today through paintings, photographs, and other graphic arts.

Every era of history has a story to tell and what better medium to explore than art, and how it fits into history.

That’s my goal – and I’m sticking to it.