meaning and subject matter in still-life painting was again transformed and expanded. Pop artists substituted soup and beer cans <javascript:OpenBrWindow(»images/s12.htm«,»s12«,»resizable=yes,width=200,height=305«)> for the more traditional fruit, flowers, or books.
Wayne Thiebaud expressed the optimism of America in the 1950s and 1960s with his seemingly endless arrays of cakes <javascript:OpenBrWindow(»images/s13.htm«,»s13«,»resizable=yes,width=230,height=313«)> and pies. These objects no longer carry subtle moral messages but have become icons of a consumer-driven culture.
Richard Diebenkorn »s Still Life <javascript:OpenBrWindow(«images/s14.htm»,«s14»,«resizable=yes,width=210,height=300»)> becomes a self-portrait-a study of the artist through his tools, personal items, and working environment. Throughout his career
Jim Dine incorporated common objects into his work that were meaningful in his own life - such as tools, bathrobes, and hearts. Through repetition over time these objects take on meaning for the viewer as well as the artist. Dine «s The Gate, Goodbye Vermont <javascript:OpenBrWindow(»images/s15.htm«,»s15«,»resizable=yes,width=200,height=305')> combines elements of still life and sculptural asssemblage to evoke a particular sense of place and point in time [3].
2.4 History painting
painting records noteworthy events and documents scenes of exemplary conduct, virtue, and patriotism. From the eighteenth well into the nineteenth century it was considered the most elevated form of art. In Europe, historical subjects were usually commissioned by royalty, clergy, and governments in order to commemorate and dramatize scenes of national triumph. These works were traditionally executed on a large scale and were intended for official display.first great American painter of historical narratives was Benjamin West . In colonial America there was little demand for large-scale work of this sort, and West traveled to Europe in search of training and patronage. As an expatriate living in London, West achieved great success with works like The Battle of La Hogue <javascript:OpenBrWindow(«images/h1.htm»,«h1»,«resizable=yes,width=230,height=240»)>, which represents an English victory at sea in 1692.
John Singleton Copley , another American, also found an audience in London. Copley «s Watson and the Shark <javascript:OpenBrWindow(»images/h2.htm«,»h2«,»resizable=yes,width=210,height=240«)> was a private commission illustrating a scene from the life of Brook Watson. Orphaned as a child, Watson later became a wealthy businessman and eventually the mayor of London. By executing this scene with the epic scale and drama traditionally reserved for public works, Copley transforms an episode of personal history into an allegory of salvation with instructive value for public life. Copley »s preliminary sketch for the Death of the Earl of Chatham <javascript:OpenBrWindow(&am...
