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The Fall of the Wild: Taming Nature in American Painting
Join Dr. Elizabeth Kuebler-Wolf of our Unearthed Speakers Bureau for a talk hosted at The Towne House Retirement Community.
Event Details
What is American about American landscape paintings?
The meaning of America itself is embedded in the long tradition of landscape painting in our country, ideas that have been contested within our nation from the very beginning of the colonies. Our ideas of landscape have shaped human settlement and disruption; our idea of what is valuable in nature dictates decisions about preservation and exploitation of various lands. The act of taming the landscape is at the center of the American experiment, and the metaphorical meanings of American landscape are nowhere more evident than in art. In this talk, Beth will explore representations of American landscapes to demonstrate what they reveal about American ideals and values.
Beth is associate professor of art history at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, where she teaches classes in modern and contemporary art. Her research focuses on the history of American art and visual culture with a special interest in antebellum culture. Her most recent publication is “Gilbert Hunt, the City Blacksmith: slavery, freedom, and fame in antebellum Richmond, Virginia,” as a chapter in The Many Faces of Slavery New Perspectives on Slave Ownership and Experiences in the Americas (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020).