From Sea to Shining Sea

When you hear the word art, you probably think about beauty or personal expression. But artworks are also records of history. Just as newspapers or letters offer firsthand accounts of an era, works of art are primary sources. They reveal not only the individual experiences of the artists but also the historical contexts in which they were made.

Throughout the country’s history, artists have helped shape American cultural identity. The eight examples featured here are not a comprehensive timeline of American art’s development. But each work illuminates key aspects of our country’s history. How do these works reveal changing American values?

Artworks can be records of history. They provide firsthand accounts of the past. They help us understand the times in which they were made.

Long before the invention of photography, most people would have seen George Washington only in painted copies of his official portrait, Gilbert Stuart’s 1796 George Washington (The Lansdowne Portrait), above. Little did they know that Stuart painted only the president’s face from life. The Rhode Island-born artist used a model for the rest of the figure, as Washington hated sitting for portraits. Viewers back then would have understood the portrait’s symbolism, especially the rainbow representing peace following the Revolutionary War.

When George Washington served as the nation’s first president, photography had not been invented yet. Most people only knew what he looked like from painted copies of his official portrait. Rhode Island-born artist Gilbert Stuart made George Washington (The Lansdowne Portrait), above, in 1796. But Washington hated posing for portraits. So Stuart only painted the face in person. He used a stand-in as a model for the rest of the figure. The rainbow behind Washington represents peace after the Revolutionary War.

Over the years, artists began depicting subjects who were, unlike Washington, not typically found in fine art. Henry Ossawa Tanner, from Pennsylvania, was the first internationally famous Black American artist. He completed The Banjo Lesson, above, in 1893, only 28 years after slavery was abolished. At the time, depictions of Black people were steeped in ugly racist stereotypes. But Tanner’s painting, incorporating techniques from Realism, treated people in poor, rural Black communities with dignity. Note the delicate contrast between the cool shadows around the grandfather—who represents the past—and the warm hues enveloping the boy—who evokes the future.

Important people like Washington were often subjects of fine art. But over the years, artists began depicting regular people too. Henry Ossawa Tanner of Pennsylvania was the first Black American artist to become world famous. He completed The Banjo Lesson, above, in 1893. Slavery was declared illegal 28 years earlier. Most depictions of Black people still used ugly racist stereotypes. But Tanner used techniques from Realism to portray poor, rural Black communities with dignity. Note the cool colors around the grandfather and the warm ones around his grandson. One represents the past, and the other a better future.

Former newspaper artist John Sloan took Realism in a new direction, focusing on major cities, where most people lived at the time. He was part of the Ashcan School, a group of New York City artists who explored gritty urban subjects, like working-class tenements, in their paintings. Sloan’s 1912 Sunday, Women Drying Their Hair, above, depicts poor immigrant women enjoying a breeze on a rooftop. Neither glorifying nor diminishing the women, he captures a quiet, real moment.

New York City artist John Sloan took Realism in a different direction. He was part of a group of painters who focused on gritty urban scenes. Sloan’s 1912 Sunday, Women Drying Their Hair is above. It depicts poor immigrant women enjoying a breeze on a rooftop. Sloan doesn’t glorify the women or mock them. He simply captures a real moment.

By the 20th century, advances in technology made art reproductions widely available. Thanks to improved printing processes and inexpensive paper, for example, Norman Rockwell’s painted illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post reached unprecedented numbers of readers. His 1919 cover, above, depicts a proud GI returning home after World War I.

By the 20th century, paper was cheaper and printing technology was better. This made some art more available to everyone. Norman Rockwell’s painted illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post are a great example. These works reached more people than most fine art ever could. Rockwell’s 1919 Hero’s Welcome is above. It shows a proud American soldier returning home after World War I.

Before and after the Great Depression (1929 to 1939), artists highlighted the American West and Midwest. Grant Wood drew inspiration from rural Iowa. His 1930 American Gothic, above, portrays a farmer and a younger woman standing stiffly in clothing already considered old-fashioned. The subtly funny painting became a hit overnight, sparking debate about whether the Depression-era artwork celebrates solid rural values or demeans the Midwest. The painting has been parodied countless times over the years—evidence of its enduring cultural relevance.

The Great Depression lasted a decade: 1929 to 1939. During that time, many artists highlighted the American West and Midwest. Grant Wood was inspired by rural Iowa. His 1930 painting American Gothic is above. It shows a farmer and a woman. Their clothes were seen as old-fashioned, which viewers found funny. Does this celebrate rural values? Or make fun of them?

Ansel Adams’s work made the grandeur of nature—especially remote places in harsh climates—broadly accessible. The landscape photographer from California worked in black and white, emphasizing the drama of the wilderness. Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park, above, shot in the late 1930s, documents the rugged beauty of a snowfall in the California park. Adams was also an environmentalist whose photos contributed to the establishment of several national parks.

California photographer Ansel Adams focused on the grandness of nature. He photographed remote landscapes in harsh climates. Adams shot in black and white to bring out the drama of the wilderness. His Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park is above. Adams captured it in the late 1930s. The photo shows off the rugged beauty of snowy mountains in California.

After settling in New Mexico, Georgia O’Keeffe developed a romanticized vision of the desert Southwest. Her surreal 1937 painting From the Faraway, Nearby, above, depicts a mule deer skull hovering above pastel hills. While the landscape of her adopted home enchanted O’Keeffe, the trailblazing female artist painted an abstracted interpretation of the desert as she experienced it. Today, scholars note that Indigenous communities of the Southwest experienced the land differently from O’Keeffe, and their art and craft looks quite different from hers. It often features geometric patterns and incorporates local, natural materials.

Georgia O’Keeffe spent much of her life in New Mexico. There, she developed a unique vision of the desert. Above is her 1937 painting From the Faraway, Nearby. The surreal work depicts a deer skull floating above mountains. O’Keeffe was fascinated by the landscape of her adopted home. But the desert she painted was imaginary in many ways. Today experts note that it leaves out the Indigenous people of the Southwest. Their experience of the land was very different from O’Keeffe’s.

Jean-Michel Basquiat elevated street art to New York City’s fine art scene. His 1983 painting Horn Players, above, celebrates Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, two iconic jazz musicians from the 20th century. The painting pays homage to jazz, an American art form in its own right, and its Black pioneers. Basquiat bases his painting’s look—energetic brushwork and playful repetition of line, color, and language—on jazz’s improvisational techniques.

Look back at the works featured in this story. What do they say about changing American values? Which artists and works would you add to this selection to highlight the parts of history you find most interesting?

Jean-Michel Basquiat was a street artist. But his work caught the attention of New York City’s fine art scene. His 1983 painting Horn Players is above. It shows two famous jazz musicians. Jazz is a musical style pioneered by Black Americans. Notice Basquiat’s energetic brushstrokes and repeated words and colors. This reflects the playful style of jazz.

Look at the works in this story. What do they say about American values? Eight works can’t capture all of American history. Which artists and artworks would you add?