Fourth of July Inspiration: Howard Pyle

Howard Pyle (1853 - 1911) The Nation Makers, 1903, Oil on canvas, 40 1/4 × 26 in.

Howard Pyle was a Golden Age Illustrator, painter and author.

Today, Howard Pyle is not nearly as well-known as his images. However, he was one of America’s most popular illustrators and storytellers at a time when top illustrators were celebrities. Pyle was also heavily immersed in documenting the history of America. Pyle considered The Nation Makers among his most important works and, between 1903 and 1908, he sent it on tour to New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Green Bay. People stood in line to see the work on display.

Happy 4th of July !

Explore - Question - Learn - - Enjoy, Jim 

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The Fourth of July by Childe Hassam

The Fourth of July by Childe Hassam, 1916, oil on canvas, 36 x 26 inches

This patriotic flag painting was painted by the American Impressionist Childe Hassam (1859-1935).

I believe it to be a street in NY city, one of several pieces he produced in this genre. These are some of the most distinctive and famous works by the artist. There were around thirty painting in his "Flag series". (Notice the flag in the foreground and how it has only 48 stars as Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states in 1916.)  Always an inspiration and one of my favorite artists.

Happy 4th of July!

To learn more about Childe Hassam click this link.

Explore - Question - Learn - Enjoy, Jim 

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Happy Independence Day

In the painting Independence Day, Andrew Wyeth portrays his longtime friend and neighbor Tom Clark sitting on a porch alongside a billowing American flag. Clark lived in a small African American community in Chadds Ford known as “Little Africa,” which had originated as a Quaker stop on the Underground Railroad. Beginning in 1957, Wyeth produced numerous drawings and watercolors of Clark, whose physical features captivated the artist.

The composition and lighting are dramatic and suggestive of the times. Painted in 1961 an important year in the civil rights movement I cannot help but think Wyeth was making a social comment here. I like this analysis of the work, “The composition isolates Tom Clark from the flag, but this flag is broad and expansive, and capable of extending freedom to all Americans.”

Happy Independence Day !!

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) Independence Day, watercolor on paper, 14 x 20 inches

Explore - Question - Learn - Enjoy, Jim 

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