A.Ham Book Club discussion
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Of Arms and Artists
Of Arms & Artists
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Chapter 10
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1. It is impossible to please everyone, particularly with regard to artistic interpretation. As we discussed elsewhere, if people complained about the inaccuracy of Trumbull's history paintings, would they have preferred the real picture -- a few sweaty, rumpled men slumped in their chairs and swatting at flies, scarcely ever congregated together at one time? Wouldn't they have seen a realistic depiction of battle as being even MORE politically incendiary? 2. That kind of thing is unavoidable. I believe people see what they want to see in art, that's what makes it dynamic and exciting though. I noticed a lot of this in this book as the author described the clothing worn by the subjects, or even where their hands were pointed or positioned.
3. "Unlike European states that could rely on ethnic bloodlines, class kinship, monarchic paternalism, and age-old systems of patronage to help people understand who they were, where they came from, and how they figured into the nation, America, with its fluid classes, immigrant influxes, unruly habits, individual rights, mixed histories, and differing religious, moral, political, social, and racial character, needed a single event -- The Revolution -- to create the bonds that might tie citizens together."
4. I did enjoy this book. It opened by eyes to a perspective of the Revolution I had never considered previously, and I enjoyed learning all about the lives of these artists, who almost never get notice beyond their names beside a painting. It was interesting to hear their personal stories of failure, success, and lots of self-sabotage. I hope that one day I can see some of these pictures in person, to kind of complete the circle for me.
I know I am behind but just finished this. I really enjoyed learning about the artists of the Revolution. I had always heard how much Adams disliked the Declaration of Independence but didn't appreciate his fears that the hardships and rancor of that time was lost in a glorified painting. I also have a better understanding how these paintings of our FFs have influenced the way we perceive them historically. Stuart captured the essence of Washington as a man for all ages, but I also think that in doing this, they made them seem so stiff and unrelatable to us. It's great that books, and shows like Hamilton and Turn are lifting these men off the canvas and breathing some life into them. Anyway, great book, really enjoyed it.
Hi, y'all. I know we've all unfortunately had life intervene and have abandoned book club reading, but I wanted to recommend a book ...sort of as a postscript to this one we read last summer. I thought this might be a good place to share my review of Jane Kamensky's wonderful biography of John Singleton Copley, if you're interested. I thought I'd do it here rather than on Twitter, since I don't see folks much there anymore. No response comments expected; it's just one of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time, and thought I'd post for those who might be interested in the book and what I thought of it. If you are, the link is below (hope it works). Ciao! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
1. This final chapter was heavily focused on the idea of art "recreating" history. This idea has been mentioned in previous chapters as well, but has come full circle in this one specifically in reference to the large paintings commissioned for the Capitol building. How important is it for art to reflect history in an accurate manner? I could refer back to a twitter exchange between Stephen Knott and Michael Newton about a painting of Valley Forge where Hamilton is included, but in reality, he was not there yet. Despite the inaccuracy, it is a great painting. This is true of almost every medium as well: when translating history to stage, TV, etc, some things cannot be easily given their fair share. So, how important is it?
2. In later years, symbolism was being attached to some of Trumbull's paintings. Is it okay to create meaning when the creator didn't put it there intentionally?
3. Did you have a favorite passage? If so, what was it and why?
4. Overall, what did you think of the book? One of the little things I enjoyed was the organization of it. How each artist's life led to the next and so on.