In today’s more global society, what does it mean to be American? The word has long been associated

In today’s more global society, what does it mean to be American? The word has long been associated with people living in the United States, but it can also apply to those in any other country in North, South, and Central America. While our galleries of American art for many years have included works from throughout the Americas, we have refreshed them to more fully reflect this broader definition of “American.” In addition, with themes that include cross-cultural influences, racial discrimination, and urbanization, the installation expands on issues confronting many Americans today.In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Dutch, the British, and the Spanish all claimed areas of land in the Americas. In these colonies (the Spanish territories were known as viceroyalties), the well-to-do displayed luxury goods and paintings, especially commissioned portraits, to demonstrate their social standing.The painting by Miguel Cabrera shows the powerful Creole (American-born Spaniard) Don Juan Xavier Joachín posing in a dazzling European-style costume and powdered wig appropriate to his social status. A lengthy inscription emphasizes his court appointments, including a lifetime position as governor of the Philippines. Spain began granting titles of nobility to elite individuals in the New World shortly after the European conquest.Gilbert Stuart portrayed George Washington in a pose similar to Don Juan Xavier Joachín’s. Painted twenty years after the United States declared independence from Great Britain, Stuart included many details symbolic of the new nation and its first president. Representing Washington in the classical pose of an orator (with arm extended), Stuart added a sword, emblematic of Washington’s military victories. The rainbow in the background referred to the era of peace following the Revolution, during Washington’s terms as president.Stop by our newly refreshed American Art galleries and see a broader definition of American art on our walls.Posted by Connie H. Choi -- source link

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