Mfa-Art

Colonial American Art

In the New American Wing of Museum of Fine Arts, there were paintings that displayed clear transition of history as time progressed. Among the artworks, two portraits “Mrs. Richard Patteshall (Martha Wood) and Child” by Thomas Smith and “Paul Revere” by John Singleton Copley distinctively showed the progression of American society between the late 17th and mid 18th century. Not only these portraits differ in artistic style, but they also reflect important characteristics of the society at the time through various other factors.

“Mrs. Richard Patteshall (Martha Wood) and Child” is a portrait of a mother and a child and there is a presence of Baroque art in which the portrait was painted. The contrast between light and dark, somewhat dreamy brush strokes, and the composition of the painting clearly shows it was heavily influenced by Baroque, a style that was widely popular and commonly used in Europe during the 17th century. Having a portrait itself was an evidence of affluence at the time, but dresses that mother and child wear further prove that the Patteshalls were prominent families in the American colonies. The dresses are adorned in laces and ribbons, which were considered luxury items and mostly produced in Europe. Mrs. Patteshall dressed in British court style also demonstrates the relationship between the colonial America was peaceful as the Puritans during this era were more concerned of solidifying their own community, safe from the attacks of Native Americans and sometimes those of indentured servants. The society in general was more of a typical colonial one, as the political turmoil was yet to arise and the colonial economy was rapidly developing.

The portrait “Paul Revere” by renowned painter John Singleton Copley, however, is a sharp contract from the previous artwork. Copley rejected romanticism, which was a prominent artistic style in French art and literature at the time, and adopted realism. Realism was a style that...