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Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution through Painters' Eyes
A vibrant and original perspective on the American Revolution through the stories of the five great artists whose paintings animated the new American republic.
The images accompanying the founding of the United States--of honored Founders, dramatic battle scenes, and seminal moments--gave visual shape to Revolutionary events and symbolized an entirely new concept of leadership and government. Since then they have endured as indispensable icons, serving as historical documents and timeless reminders of the nation's unprecedented beginnings.
As Paul Staiti reveals in Of Arms and Artists , the lives of the five great American artists of the Revolutionary period--Charles Willson Peale, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull, Benjamin West, and Gilbert Stuart--were every bit as eventful as those of the Founders with whom they continually interacted, and their works contributed mightily to America's founding spirit. Living in a time of breathtaking change, each in his own way came to grips with the history being made by turning to brushes and canvases, the results often eliciting awe and praise, and sometimes scorn. Ever since the passing of the last eyewitnesses to the Revolution, their imagery has connected Americans to 1776, allowing us to interpret and reinterpret the nation's beginning generation after generation. The collective stories of these five artists open a fresh window on the Revolutionary era, making more human the figures we have long honored as our Founders, and deepening our understanding of the whirlwind out of which the United States emerged.
The images accompanying the founding of the United States--of honored Founders, dramatic battle scenes, and seminal moments--gave visual shape to Revolutionary events and symbolized an entirely new concept of leadership and government. Since then they have endured as indispensable icons, serving as historical documents and timeless reminders of the nation's unprecedented beginnings.
As Paul Staiti reveals in Of Arms and Artists , the lives of the five great American artists of the Revolutionary period--Charles Willson Peale, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull, Benjamin West, and Gilbert Stuart--were every bit as eventful as those of the Founders with whom they continually interacted, and their works contributed mightily to America's founding spirit. Living in a time of breathtaking change, each in his own way came to grips with the history being made by turning to brushes and canvases, the results often eliciting awe and praise, and sometimes scorn. Ever since the passing of the last eyewitnesses to the Revolution, their imagery has connected Americans to 1776, allowing us to interpret and reinterpret the nation's beginning generation after generation. The collective stories of these five artists open a fresh window on the Revolutionary era, making more human the figures we have long honored as our Founders, and deepening our understanding of the whirlwind out of which the United States emerged.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2016
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March 6, 2018
Trivia Question: What image from a painting has been reproduced more times than any other in history? (Answer below).
This may be niche history - what were the five greatest American artists of their time doing during the Revolutionary War? - but it was actually very well done. Solid, I'd say. The fear, starting, was that this would treat the paintings done in that period with a little biography of each painter thrown in. But unknown to me was that each of these painters journeyed to London and was caught in that uncomfortable geography. And, who better to capture the Founders than the artists trained to translate their essence?
Charles Wilson Peale, Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull and Gilbert Stuart.
Peale, the son of a convicted felon, became a saddlemaker first. Displaying some artistic talent, he went to London in 1767 where he was befriended by Benjamin West. (Everyone was befriended by Benjamin West.) He got back in time to enroll in the militia and served under Washington.
West, who, as I said, befriended everybody, befriended George III, and became his court painter. This put West in a delicate spot and it wasn't till after the War that he began painting the Founders.
Copley craved neutrality, probably because of his marital situation. It was Copley's father-in-law's tea, after all, that was dumped in the Boston Harbor the night of the Party. He sailed from Boston to London in 1774, where he sat out the War. When the War was over he too began painting American Patriots. Sometimes it's just about the money.
Trumbull was Washington's aide-de-camp, so no one can question his patriotism. He spent the rest of his days painting stirring battle scenes which now adorn the inside of the Capitol. Some people admired his style but wished he had been more accurate in the details. John Adams, for example.
Stuart, who never expressed a political allegiance, was fighting his own war. Thought to be the most talented of the bunch, Stuart was fond of madeira and notoriously skipped out on projects after accepting the fee.
Of the Founders:
Trumbull found John Adams to be insufferable. "There is too much constraint, too much of the great and wise to admit anything sporting, familiar, or relaxing," he wrote his brother Jonathon. "I hate a person who is always wise, serious, intent. 'Tis well enough when business presses, but even business should be confined as much as possible within the Closet & there is a time when 'tis ridiculous to be wise." Thank you!
And you will not find a kind word spoken here about Thomas Jefferson.
Reading of the hatreds, from petty to profound, between various Founders, it seems things haven't changed much. But we don't think so. We don't because the paintings show us otherwise. There is only harmony in Trumbull's The Declaration of Independence.
John Adams, who's in it (hand on hip, right in the center), couldn't stand to look at it. Where are the Squabbles, he wondered. There should be Squabbles!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
This is the second book by a professor at Mount Holyoke College that I've read in less than a month. I could not have got odds on that happening. But both books were of very high quality so, you know, Go Lyons! Keep it up!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Trivia Answer: It's not Mona Lisa, which I would have guessed. And it's not Water Lilies, which others guessed when I asked in real life. No, the answer is one of Gilbert Stuart's portraits of Washington which, in reverse posting, adorns every U.S. dollar bill since 1869.
This may be niche history - what were the five greatest American artists of their time doing during the Revolutionary War? - but it was actually very well done. Solid, I'd say. The fear, starting, was that this would treat the paintings done in that period with a little biography of each painter thrown in. But unknown to me was that each of these painters journeyed to London and was caught in that uncomfortable geography. And, who better to capture the Founders than the artists trained to translate their essence?
Charles Wilson Peale, Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull and Gilbert Stuart.
Peale, the son of a convicted felon, became a saddlemaker first. Displaying some artistic talent, he went to London in 1767 where he was befriended by Benjamin West. (Everyone was befriended by Benjamin West.) He got back in time to enroll in the militia and served under Washington.
West, who, as I said, befriended everybody, befriended George III, and became his court painter. This put West in a delicate spot and it wasn't till after the War that he began painting the Founders.
Copley craved neutrality, probably because of his marital situation. It was Copley's father-in-law's tea, after all, that was dumped in the Boston Harbor the night of the Party. He sailed from Boston to London in 1774, where he sat out the War. When the War was over he too began painting American Patriots. Sometimes it's just about the money.
Trumbull was Washington's aide-de-camp, so no one can question his patriotism. He spent the rest of his days painting stirring battle scenes which now adorn the inside of the Capitol. Some people admired his style but wished he had been more accurate in the details. John Adams, for example.
Stuart, who never expressed a political allegiance, was fighting his own war. Thought to be the most talented of the bunch, Stuart was fond of madeira and notoriously skipped out on projects after accepting the fee.
Of the Founders:
Trumbull found John Adams to be insufferable. "There is too much constraint, too much of the great and wise to admit anything sporting, familiar, or relaxing," he wrote his brother Jonathon. "I hate a person who is always wise, serious, intent. 'Tis well enough when business presses, but even business should be confined as much as possible within the Closet & there is a time when 'tis ridiculous to be wise." Thank you!
And you will not find a kind word spoken here about Thomas Jefferson.
Reading of the hatreds, from petty to profound, between various Founders, it seems things haven't changed much. But we don't think so. We don't because the paintings show us otherwise. There is only harmony in Trumbull's The Declaration of Independence.
John Adams, who's in it (hand on hip, right in the center), couldn't stand to look at it. Where are the Squabbles, he wondered. There should be Squabbles!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
This is the second book by a professor at Mount Holyoke College that I've read in less than a month. I could not have got odds on that happening. But both books were of very high quality so, you know, Go Lyons! Keep it up!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Trivia Answer: It's not Mona Lisa, which I would have guessed. And it's not Water Lilies, which others guessed when I asked in real life. No, the answer is one of Gilbert Stuart's portraits of Washington which, in reverse posting, adorns every U.S. dollar bill since 1869.
August 18, 2017
Who has a better ability to see a subject's inner truth better than an Artist? By the same token, who has the ability to manipulate an image better? The great men of the Revolution understood well the power of images. They knew how they wanted to be portrayed throughout history. The artists examined in this book were truly a rare breed-they knew how important it was to paint the portraits of mortal, flawed individuals and contextualize for future generations.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Written from an entirely different angle than most American History.
Simply Excellent.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Written from an entirely different angle than most American History.
Simply Excellent.
July 18, 2016
In 1783 John Adams was in London and commissioned American expat John Singleton Copely to paint his portrait.
Adams was fresh from Paris where, along with John Jay and Benjamin Franklin, he had signed the Treaty of Paris. His accomplishments included obtaining recognition of America and negotiating a treaty with the Dutch, plus obtaining a Dutch loan to fund the American war for independence, and establishing the very first American embassy in Amsterdam. He was instrumental in the Provisional Treaty with Britain.
A man must be his own trumpeter Adams had written in a letter. Adams knew his place in history, even if at home and abroad Franklin was everyone's darling. He deserved a portrait. Copley was to paint an eight-foot tall, full portrait of Adams, full of symbols designating his place in history.
Art teaches values, Adams knew, and can be used as propaganda, promoting ideals that outlast personal memory.
Upon seeing the impressive portrait Adams realized the vanity of his desire. He left it behind.
Of Arms and Artists by Paul Staiti considers the lives of the great artists of the Revolution in context of their time. I was fascinated by the stories of the artists. Learning about the paintings was enlightening. For instance, on my last visit to the Detroit Art Institute I was thrilled to see Watson and the Shark by Copely. This is a painting often reproduced in books. Statai tells the story behind the painting.
The commissioned painting memorializes the experience of real life Brook Watson. The dramatic painting shows a man in the water reaching for a rope thrown from a boat while a sailor readies to harpoon a shark whose open maw is feet from the unfortunate boy.
The real Watson was a Tory politician who wanted the paining to create a personal identity, eliciting sympathy and connoting courage. He was a British spy who announced that slavery was "merciful and humane."
Americans will recognize famous paintings by these artists. They created the mythos of America.
Charles Willson Peale, an enthusiastic patriot who was a captain in the Pennsylvania militia. He was at the crossing of the Delaware and the Battles of Trenton and Princeton and the fall of Philadelphia to the British. Peale visited Valley Forge, painting miniatures of the officers--not as they were but cheery visions to send home to loved ones. He painted George Washington after the Battle of Princeton.
John Singleton Copley left America to study in Europe. He endeavored for neutrality and painted portraits of Patriots and the British.
John Trumbull captured pivotal moments in history. He witness the battle of Bunker Hill and served as an aide to Gen. George Washington. In Paris he was a go-between for Thomas Jefferson, delivering love notes to the married Maria Cosway. His paintings are oin the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol including the signing of the Declaration of Independence which places historical accuracy secondary to America ideals.
Benjamin West left Pennsylvania for a 'grand tour' to broaden his knowledge of art. He stayed in London as the historical painter to the court of George III. His historical paintings included The Death of General Wolfe. He painted his close friend in the allegorical Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity From the Sky.
Gilbert Stuart was a master in portraiture, painting over 1,000. He studied under Benjamin West in England. Constantly in debt, he spent the summer of 1789 in the Marshalsea Prison. His painting of George Washington was saved by Dolley Madison when the British invaded the Capitol.
Having read a number of books on the Revolution was an asset to understand the historical events of the paintings created by these artists, but enough information is provided by the author for the general reader. I appreciated how the author brought these men to life.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Adams was fresh from Paris where, along with John Jay and Benjamin Franklin, he had signed the Treaty of Paris. His accomplishments included obtaining recognition of America and negotiating a treaty with the Dutch, plus obtaining a Dutch loan to fund the American war for independence, and establishing the very first American embassy in Amsterdam. He was instrumental in the Provisional Treaty with Britain.
A man must be his own trumpeter Adams had written in a letter. Adams knew his place in history, even if at home and abroad Franklin was everyone's darling. He deserved a portrait. Copley was to paint an eight-foot tall, full portrait of Adams, full of symbols designating his place in history.
Art teaches values, Adams knew, and can be used as propaganda, promoting ideals that outlast personal memory.
Upon seeing the impressive portrait Adams realized the vanity of his desire. He left it behind.
Of Arms and Artists by Paul Staiti considers the lives of the great artists of the Revolution in context of their time. I was fascinated by the stories of the artists. Learning about the paintings was enlightening. For instance, on my last visit to the Detroit Art Institute I was thrilled to see Watson and the Shark by Copely. This is a painting often reproduced in books. Statai tells the story behind the painting.
The commissioned painting memorializes the experience of real life Brook Watson. The dramatic painting shows a man in the water reaching for a rope thrown from a boat while a sailor readies to harpoon a shark whose open maw is feet from the unfortunate boy.
The real Watson was a Tory politician who wanted the paining to create a personal identity, eliciting sympathy and connoting courage. He was a British spy who announced that slavery was "merciful and humane."
Americans will recognize famous paintings by these artists. They created the mythos of America.
Charles Willson Peale, an enthusiastic patriot who was a captain in the Pennsylvania militia. He was at the crossing of the Delaware and the Battles of Trenton and Princeton and the fall of Philadelphia to the British. Peale visited Valley Forge, painting miniatures of the officers--not as they were but cheery visions to send home to loved ones. He painted George Washington after the Battle of Princeton.
John Singleton Copley left America to study in Europe. He endeavored for neutrality and painted portraits of Patriots and the British.
John Trumbull captured pivotal moments in history. He witness the battle of Bunker Hill and served as an aide to Gen. George Washington. In Paris he was a go-between for Thomas Jefferson, delivering love notes to the married Maria Cosway. His paintings are oin the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol including the signing of the Declaration of Independence which places historical accuracy secondary to America ideals.
Benjamin West left Pennsylvania for a 'grand tour' to broaden his knowledge of art. He stayed in London as the historical painter to the court of George III. His historical paintings included The Death of General Wolfe. He painted his close friend in the allegorical Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity From the Sky.
Gilbert Stuart was a master in portraiture, painting over 1,000. He studied under Benjamin West in England. Constantly in debt, he spent the summer of 1789 in the Marshalsea Prison. His painting of George Washington was saved by Dolley Madison when the British invaded the Capitol.
Having read a number of books on the Revolution was an asset to understand the historical events of the paintings created by these artists, but enough information is provided by the author for the general reader. I appreciated how the author brought these men to life.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
June 9, 2021
This was such a cool book! Viewing the Revolutionary War and the major players in the founding of America through the lens of those who painted it is such an amazing concept. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the painters and their works and how small lies in art or artistic licenses being taken were received by those who knew the truth of the events being depicted.
Structure and Formatting 4/5
The overall structure of the book is fairly chronological, but since each chapter tended to focus on one artist at a time, there was a little repetition as some things were happening simultaneously. It made me do a couple of rereads as I was like "wait, didn't he just make this point?" before realizing that it was mentioned in the previous chapter with the previous artist but now we were picking up again where that interaction left off. In all, I liked the focus on individual artists and it kept me wanting to read to get to the next chapter to find out about the next artist.
Thoroughness of Research 4??/5
I'm still going through the notes in the back of the book, but what portions I gleaned while reading the book are that there are some instances where I definitely found myself going "other books I've read contradict this" or "okay, he's dispelling some long-held myths, but what's his source?" My rating may change here, but I'm sticking it at a 4 until I can do a deeper dive into some of the specific sources he has for a few things.
Storytelling/Writing 4/5
My issues with the repetitiveness due to the format of the book could probably have been resolved with a few writing changes, but overall, I thought the pace of the book and the overall writing was great. I get the sense the author isn't a huge fan of Jefferson, but it's okay since I'm not either. 😅
Level of Enjoyment 5/5
I had been looking forward to this book for about a year. I couldn't wait until my book club was scheduled to read it, and I'm so glad to have picked this one up! Such a fun way of viewing a time that I've come to become familiar with over the course of my book club.
Prior Knowledge Needed 4/5
I definitely think having at least some prior knowledge of the timeframe of the Boston Massacre through Jefferson's inauguration helps with the contents in the book. Some events are just mentioned as an aside or to give context to the political climate without further explanation on what is being referenced. The focus is the art, and the events and people involved are ones it seems the author thinks you should already know. It worked for me, but I think someone new to the time period might get frustrated trying to keep up with what's going on.
Overall 4.2/5
Loved this book! Can't wait to discuss it with my book club. I hope they found it as fun as I did!
Structure and Formatting 4/5
The overall structure of the book is fairly chronological, but since each chapter tended to focus on one artist at a time, there was a little repetition as some things were happening simultaneously. It made me do a couple of rereads as I was like "wait, didn't he just make this point?" before realizing that it was mentioned in the previous chapter with the previous artist but now we were picking up again where that interaction left off. In all, I liked the focus on individual artists and it kept me wanting to read to get to the next chapter to find out about the next artist.
Thoroughness of Research 4??/5
I'm still going through the notes in the back of the book, but what portions I gleaned while reading the book are that there are some instances where I definitely found myself going "other books I've read contradict this" or "okay, he's dispelling some long-held myths, but what's his source?" My rating may change here, but I'm sticking it at a 4 until I can do a deeper dive into some of the specific sources he has for a few things.
Storytelling/Writing 4/5
My issues with the repetitiveness due to the format of the book could probably have been resolved with a few writing changes, but overall, I thought the pace of the book and the overall writing was great. I get the sense the author isn't a huge fan of Jefferson, but it's okay since I'm not either. 😅
Level of Enjoyment 5/5
I had been looking forward to this book for about a year. I couldn't wait until my book club was scheduled to read it, and I'm so glad to have picked this one up! Such a fun way of viewing a time that I've come to become familiar with over the course of my book club.
Prior Knowledge Needed 4/5
I definitely think having at least some prior knowledge of the timeframe of the Boston Massacre through Jefferson's inauguration helps with the contents in the book. Some events are just mentioned as an aside or to give context to the political climate without further explanation on what is being referenced. The focus is the art, and the events and people involved are ones it seems the author thinks you should already know. It worked for me, but I think someone new to the time period might get frustrated trying to keep up with what's going on.
Overall 4.2/5
Loved this book! Can't wait to discuss it with my book club. I hope they found it as fun as I did!
August 6, 2024
What a great read and a fresh look at the American Revolution, through the eyes of the master American painters of the day - Peale, Copley, Trumbull, West, and Stuart.
Staiti is a great writer, deftly mixing the parts of the Revolution story you need with the necessary biographical info of the painters you need, mixed with the local politics and temperature in Boston, London, New York, and Philadelphia that helped shape the art.
Most importantly, he shows you how the paintings both told history and were shaped by history. His detailed explanation of how each portrait and painting were put together (and how to read and understand them), along with explanations of all the hidden messages and stories within each painting, were perfect for novices like me who are fascinated by both art and the American Revolution. And there are plenty of pictures spread throughout the book.
The stories are great, the writing is great, and I learned not only about art, but quite a bit that I hadn't heard about the Revolution. The best part of the book (after the art lessons) might be getting the perspective of the British government and press as many of the events were taking place.
Highlights:
- West painting Saul and the Witch of Endor as a rebuke of King George in the aftermath of Washington's crossing of the Delaware.
- All of the explanations of the excellent political cartoons of the day.
- John Adams seeing himself and Benjamin Franklin in the Rubens painting Christ Surrendering the Keys to Peter.
- How Stuart's portrait of Washington became theimage of Washington - not only the one that we picture in our minds now, but the one that took popular culture by storm at the time.
Staiti is a great writer, deftly mixing the parts of the Revolution story you need with the necessary biographical info of the painters you need, mixed with the local politics and temperature in Boston, London, New York, and Philadelphia that helped shape the art.
Most importantly, he shows you how the paintings both told history and were shaped by history. His detailed explanation of how each portrait and painting were put together (and how to read and understand them), along with explanations of all the hidden messages and stories within each painting, were perfect for novices like me who are fascinated by both art and the American Revolution. And there are plenty of pictures spread throughout the book.
The stories are great, the writing is great, and I learned not only about art, but quite a bit that I hadn't heard about the Revolution. The best part of the book (after the art lessons) might be getting the perspective of the British government and press as many of the events were taking place.
Highlights:
- West painting Saul and the Witch of Endor as a rebuke of King George in the aftermath of Washington's crossing of the Delaware.
- All of the explanations of the excellent political cartoons of the day.
- John Adams seeing himself and Benjamin Franklin in the Rubens painting Christ Surrendering the Keys to Peter.
- How Stuart's portrait of Washington became theimage of Washington - not only the one that we picture in our minds now, but the one that took popular culture by storm at the time.
November 17, 2021
I picked this up at my library primarily because I was interested in Benjamin West's adult history and the paintings that made up his collection.
I had enjoyed Benjamin West and his cat Grimalkin with my children and wanted to share the book of West as a child with my grandchildren. And since we live so close to Philadelphia and its art museum I wanted to show them what little Ben grew up to accomplish, especially his paintings of Biblical themes.
The chapter on West helped me to understand what happened to him and the fine line he walked when he, as a American, lived abroad as the King's court painter during the Revolutionary War.
A search for the paintings of Benjamin West yielded a huge amount of his art posted online. I only wish some of it was in a format where you could enlarge of zoom in on some of the images.
I know that I will reach for this book as I look into other artists and their works during the Revolutionary War.
I had enjoyed Benjamin West and his cat Grimalkin with my children and wanted to share the book of West as a child with my grandchildren. And since we live so close to Philadelphia and its art museum I wanted to show them what little Ben grew up to accomplish, especially his paintings of Biblical themes.
The chapter on West helped me to understand what happened to him and the fine line he walked when he, as a American, lived abroad as the King's court painter during the Revolutionary War.
A search for the paintings of Benjamin West yielded a huge amount of his art posted online. I only wish some of it was in a format where you could enlarge of zoom in on some of the images.
I know that I will reach for this book as I look into other artists and their works during the Revolutionary War.
September 22, 2025
Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution Through Painters' Eyes presents another view of history. Art as history and propaganda, this is a vibrant presentation of the lives of artists, during and immediately after the American Revolution. Peale, Copley, West, Trumbull and Stuart, whose lives were also transformed and manipulated through war and peace, are discussed by Staiti in a manner that will enlighten us all on another view of the art that defined a new nation. Through pictures and words, Staiti paints a portrait of these men who were, in their own right, founders of the new nation and the art that would define it. A fascinating dissertation that will delight American history enthusiasts, academic historians and art historians, as well as general-interest readers.
-Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Read the full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/review...
-Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Read the full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/review...
March 21, 2019
It is exceedingly nice that someone took the time to unpack such iconic-to-USA-history artwork. There’s a lot that the modern viewer totally miss simply because of distance from the era and lionizing the canon of a founding story. A lot of it reads like mini-biopics on the artists but that all helps provide context for the works and their lavishly nuanced descriptions. I couldn’t quite see where the ending was going (things were getting a bit unwieldy) but the last little bit pulled it all together masterfully.
July 18, 2025
Colonel history has never been of interest to me but the connection of the artists of the time won me over to give this book a try. Not only did I learn about the work of the various artists, but also remembered history of the time. It did boggle my mind, however, to read of the countless trips back and forth across the pond that the politicians and artists made and how much time they spent away from family. The illustrations undoubtedly are of better quality in the book rather than on Kindle but still I got the idea.
February 7, 2021
Not at ALL what I expected. While I sure learned a lot, views some great art and gained on lot of background on the founding of our United Stares, this was 400 pages that easily could have been 200. The book revolves around the 6 main painters of the early United States and namely the first 3 presidents and a few key players of the time. As mentioned, I learned a lot that most history books don’t teach, but ultimately the was quite a long read.
September 27, 2024
The book is mostly okay. Would have liked to see more analysis from Staiti and not just mini biographies. It wasn’t a bad book overall, it’s actually pretty interesting and written well. The book is something I might read leisurely. Overall, it’s an interesting read but adds very little to the field of history.
October 21, 2024
I had to read this too slowly, as it kept my imagination moving from painting to maps to museums. As an old lady who was taught to view art in museums for style and form, it never occurred to me that these paintings were the photography and television of the day. This was a profound look at history through the eyes of talented painters.
August 22, 2019
Very detailed info about the artists and many of their more well-known paintings.
February 6, 2017
Cheap propaganda book written to drum the nationalism into gullible hearts.
February 23, 2017
Poorly organized, poorly researched. A fascinating topic to be sure, but not in this book.
November 30, 2016
The five leading artists of the late eighteenth century were Charles Wilson Peale, John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Benjamin West, and John Trumbull. All were loyal subjects of the British crown at the beginning of the revolutionary upheaval in America. Two, Peale and Trumbull, served in the Continental Army and painted battles that they had witnessed. West and Copley, Englishmen to the core, sympathized with the American revolutionaries, even though West was a court painter to George III and even though Copley strove to be seen as neutral. Stuart, whose portrait of Washington has graced the dollar bill since 1869, never expressed a political allegiance. ("He painted just about every person who held power, or wanted to (p. 9).") Collectively, their lives open an interesting window on the times, and their paintings give us most of what we know as the war's images. State writes well about men who were not strangers to personal conflict, and who had artistic rivals.
November 30, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Excellent history. The Revolutionary period as experienced and conveyed by the prominent artists of the day. A wonderful way to look at the period from the different angles of the artists themselves. Shows how art both influenced and portrayed the history of the American Revolution. Highly recommend!
February 4, 2017
Excellent wide-ranging work on the American revolution through the experiences of the most respected American painters of the time. It provides much information about the painting world and the relations between the key world powers, as well as detailed explanations of many of the most notable paintings produced. Well worth a read.
October 3, 2016
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book to be a very fascinating look into the private lives and the political views of the men behind some the most famous and well known paintings of the American Revolution.
I found this book to be a very fascinating look into the private lives and the political views of the men behind some the most famous and well known paintings of the American Revolution.
March 29, 2017
The art of the time of the foundation of our country is described in its historical context. We learn about the artists that painted what are now icons of American history. Learn more about Copley, Stuart, Trumbull, West and Peale's works.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews