United States

Mary Turner Sargent stands in front of a masonry wall next to a fountain, a sliver of sky visible above her head. With her left hand she delicately gathers the skirt of her dress, perhaps to keep it away from the splashing fountain. With her right hand she holds a scallop shell under the water. The shell was a conventional attribute of Venus, goddess of love and beauty, while water was symbolic of purity and fertility.

Mary Turner Sargent stands in front of a masonry wall next to a fountain, a sliver of sky visible above her head. With her left hand she delicately gathers the skirt of her dress, perhaps to keep it away from the splashing fountain. With her right hand she holds a scallop shell under the water. The shell was a conventional attribute of Venus, goddess of love and beauty, while water was symbolic of purity and fertility.

Although Maria was of Dutch origin, the model for her posture and attributes was English. This painter used an English portrait print as his source material, but he used some invention in the way Maria turns her head and the depiction of the parklike setting. The rest of the painting features elements copied from the English print, such as the garland she holds and the lamb that nuzzles sweetly against her. Such visual quotations were common practice among artists in the New World at the time.

Although Maria was of Dutch origin, the model for her posture and attributes was English. This painter used an English portrait print as his source material, but he used some invention in the way Maria turns her head and the depiction of the parklike setting. The rest of the painting features elements copied from the English print, such as the garland she holds and the lamb that nuzzles sweetly against her. Such visual quotations were common practice among artists in the New World at the time.

Inman’s portrait shows Native American leader Tshi-Zun-Hau-Kau (He-Who-Runs-with-Deer), who traveled to Washington, DC, in 1828 with a delegation from the Winnebago nation. He was described as “a warrior of remarkable genius and singular character.” In this portrait, he holds a feather-topped staff and cradles a steel hatchet. Around his neck he wears an Indian peace medal, a gift typically given to Native American leaders at treaty councils.

Inman’s portrait shows Native American leader Tshi-Zun-Hau-Kau (He-Who-Runs-with-Deer), who traveled to Washington, DC, in 1828 with a delegation from the Winnebago nation. He was described as “a warrior of remarkable genius and singular character.” In this portrait, he holds a feather-topped staff and cradles a steel hatchet. Around his neck he wears an Indian peace medal, a gift typically given to Native American leaders at treaty councils.

This painting depicts the three children of a prosperous Boston family. The wealth and cultural refinement of the parents, Arthur and Joanna Mason, are reflected in the postures and clothing worn by their children. David, portrayed as a young gentleman, holds a silver-topped walking stick that symbolizes his position as the male heir, while his sisters hold symbols of their feminine attributes.

This painting depicts the three children of a prosperous Boston family. The wealth and cultural refinement of the parents, Arthur and Joanna Mason, are reflected in the postures and clothing worn by their children. David, portrayed as a young gentleman, holds a silver-topped walking stick that symbolizes his position as the male heir, while his sisters hold symbols of their feminine attributes.

In these paired paintings of Niagara Falls, Grunewald united American painting, history, landscape, and identity. The two canvases offer an early example of the use of landscape to establish national identity through the sublime, a pictorial vocabulary that emphasizes the viewer’s felt experience over strict visual accuracy. Although at first glance the paintings appear to be a single view divided across two canvases, the perspective actually subtly shifts from one canvas to the other.

In these paired paintings of Niagara Falls, Grunewald united American painting, history, landscape, and identity. The two canvases offer an early example of the use of landscape to establish national identity through the sublime, a pictorial vocabulary that emphasizes the viewer’s felt experience over strict visual accuracy. Although at first glance the paintings appear to be a single view divided across two canvases, the perspective actually subtly shifts from one canvas to the other.