The acknowledgement of the variety of elaborate pieces of art throughout Europe and its colonies, extend beyond ones general appreciation of the work. The appreciations of these artistic pieces are dramatically increased as one discovers the profound influence of European art onto US art. The Art History of the United States, heavily draws upon the national traditions discovered in Europe. It can be seen that between the Revolution and the twentieth century, several examples of artwork depict a variety of illustrative categories that were incorporated in contributing to the notion of Europes influence in US art.
Indians of Florida is indeed an earlier work, but it strongly begins the notion of the first interactions between the Native Americans and Europeans. In the 16th century the French and Dutch tried to settle in Florida, so that is what is portrayed more or less in Mayne’s piece. Here in the painting we see the Native Americans bring local produce such as tomatoes, and are shown to have loin cloths and funny hats, and the King has the almost funniest feather hat of them all and is covered in many tattoos. Meanwhile, these French put a column into the ground, there is a crown, and of course the Fleur de Lis. Some men carry spears, cross’s, and swords while the others show up with gunpowder. Therefore in this painting alone we see how European influence came to the west, and products of trade such as tomatoes that went back to Europe as well as the European claiming of territory.
In Penn’s Treaty with Indians this late 18th century painting depicts his presentation of the Indians in the United States. They are shown to be simple, nursing and with feathers. This piece is portrayed to encapsulate a treaty between “equals” since they are not shown as naked or uncivilized. This painting serves as a model of peaceful interaction between both the English settlers and Native Americans. By portraying the English coming from the river, building taking place, and the English coming from a world of ocean into unsettled territory is used to portray a peaceful finding of the colony. Solidified through showing an exchanging of goods, West’s painting is understood as one that depicts the arrival of the English to be one of making friends not war. A much busier depiction of both history and landscape, can be found in John Trumbell’s 1786 painting Death of General Warren at Bunker Hill. This conversation piece consisting of fire and smoke, has a rather organized composition from the upper left, dispelling to the lower end of the canvas. General Warren is seen falling and is about to be killed by a British red coat, but the British general that can already see Warrens imminent death approaching due to Warrens weak and wounded display, so the British General calls off the redcoat from doing any further damage, in order to preserve the already dying General Warrens dignity. The densities of the figures in this piece are truly grasped, in this heroic large scale painting. Although many people are dying, Trumbell is sure to include the blacks who were very much a part of this revolutionary war, promised freedom if they fought and lived. John Singleton Copley is an artist who felt that landscape democracy had to be felt inwardly, and that is most eloquently portrayed in his breakthrough piece Henry Pelham. This still life painting of young boy with a