Portraits of a Revolution

Presenter: Inez McDermott

This program explores American portraits painted and sculpted during the years leading up to, and the decades after, the Revolution. The ideals, values and virtues expressly stated in our founding documents are easily identifiable in these portraits once we know how to “read” them. We will examine portraits of founding “fathers” and “mothers”, as well as of lesser-known individuals, as documents that can be read like texts. We will also discuss the tradition of portraiture, and the influences of earlier art movements, artists, and artifacts, that inform these American portraits. Audiences will be introduced to, and practice, some skills of art analysis and learn how art works can reveal so much about a culture.