Ruins of the Roman Theatre at Taormina, Sicily
William Stanley Haseltine (1889)
What democratic ideals was America founded upon?
Here we see the ruins of a Greek and Roman theater in the ancient town of Taormina, Sicily. Classical civilization had symbolic resonance for many Americans, who viewed their country as being founded upon the democratic ideals of ancient Greece and Rome. Haseltine’s views not only served as a pictorial souvenir of popular tourist destinations but also inspired those who could not afford to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe.
\ Artist
William Stanley Haseltine
American
Born:
1835
Died:
1900
Death place:
Rome, Italy
Born in Philadelphia, William Stanley Haseltine traveled to Germany to study painting after graduating from Harvard in 1854. While there he met the American artists Emanuel Leutze, Worthington Whittredge, and Albert Bierstadt. Together, the group journeyed down the Rhine River to Switzerland and Rome in 1856. These experiences influenced Haseltine’s development as a landscape painter. After returning to the United States in 1858, he continued to make excursions in pursuit of landscape subjects.
\ About
Medium
Oil on canvas
Credit
Gift of Peter McBean