National Art Education Association

The American Tradition in the Arts by Richard McLanathanReview by: Mary M. PackwoodArt Education, Vol. 24, No. 3 (Mar., 1971), p. 24Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3191557 .

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book

THE AMERICAN TRADITION IN THE ARTS. Richard McLanathan. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World, Inc., 1968. 494 pp. $7.95. Paper. This is a readable book that inter- weaves the arts into the pattern of living, giving a clear picture of more than three hundred years of American art. In the foreword, the author makes the following statement regarding the book: Its purpose is not to be one more monograph or survey, but by select- ing examples of the various arts in America from the beginning of set- tlement to our own times-consider- ing architecture, painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts, with some emphasis on the popular arts, seen as the productions of individual per- sonalities and in the context of their times-to show the singular mixture of qualities and modes that consti- tute the characteristic style and tradi- tion in American art. McLanathan describes in vivid lan- guage the founding of America with the coming of the Spanish explorers, Portuguese seamen, French fisher- men, and English seamen and the dif- fering national traditions which were brought to the New World, influenc-

ing one another yet gradually changed by conditions on a new continent.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth century the emergence of an Ameri- can tradition influenced primarily by the British was evident. The early painters of portraits, called limners, gave an intense expression of the like- ness of the sitter.

The volume discusses the influence of Thomas Jefferson upon architecture in America, describing his use of the Greek Revival style; it considers the work of Samuel Mclntire, Charles Bulfinch, and others who brought a new dimension to the architecture of the new nation. The building of Wash- ington, D.C., and the new cities on the frontier is described as an excit- ing adventure.

Painting before the Civil War saw the artist turn to a search for a truly American art. John Vanderlyn and Samuel F. Morse sought to make pictures based on a subject matter of grandeur, while Thomas Cole and others turned to recording the spa- cious country in glorified terms. These pictures made into engravings found their way into homes from the East- ern seacoast to California. The author describes the craft of the sign painter, which evolved into a native school of painting, and the craft of the tomb- stone maker and ship carver that de- veloped into a tradition of sculpture.

After the Civil War an industrial

and social revolution occurred. Be- fore this time, the American artist had been busy and respected, and his works were sold. All this was changed, however, and only during the depres- sion years of the 1930's was art to again become a means of expressing social ideals.

Today America has emerged as a major force in the arts. Experimenta- tion and innovation had been the "way of life" for the Fultons, Fords, and Wright brothers. The painter, architect, and sculptor in modern America have followed the same path, inventing new expressive forms to fit the needs of contemporary society.

The author details the story of American art in an exciting and easy flowing style. The hundreds of black- and-white illustrations help to visual- ize the arts of America. A helpful list of museums and other collections, plus a good bibliography, appear at the back of the book.

Although this volume is not as comprehensive as some other books on the market, it is exceptionally well written. Any university or college library should have a copy, and it would also be useful for high school students as a reference to supplement other books in the history and art areas. Mary M. Packwood Normal, Illinois

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