About This Lesson
Use this bingo game to learn about 24 painters and the movements that have shaped American landscape painting.
During the early 1800s, America’s national identity was intertwined with the mystery and promise of its western frontier. Landscape painters gave voice to this with pastoral scenes of tamed farmlands and picturesque views of the pristine wilderness. Distinctly American natural wonders, such as Niagara Falls, were celebrated as symbols of the nation’s vigor and daring. In these natural wonders, early landscape painters saw God’s touch and blessing. Some responded with glorious scenes of Manifest Destiny. Others followed transcendentalist leanings and created luminous landscapes of quiet spirituality. Together these paintings tell the story of the political, religious, and cultural values that transformed the United States during the 19th century.
This gallery showcases the works of some of the most influential American landscape painters of the nineteenth century. Through their paintings, these artists vividly depict the past while also addressing contemporary issues.
