Colonial American art began to take its own shape following the year 1664. Before this period, artistic expression in America was influenced primarily by European traditions. The conditions necessary for the emergence of uniquely American art, including social and economic stability, were not present in the early years of colonial settlement. Societies must reach a certain level of development before supporting cultural endeavors like art. Early American colonies were primarily focused on survival, and the religious constraints of Puritanism in New England, which tended to be iconoclastic, also impeded visual art production. However, despite these initial challenges, aesthetic considerations were always present in American society.
1. The Rise of Baroque Style in Early American Art
Early American paintings, particularly in Boston and New York, reflect a clear preference for the grand, opulent, and painterly style of the European Baroque. This movement began in Europe in the early 17th century and was characterized by dramatic use of light and shadow, rich colors, and dynamic compositions. Even in America, which was still in its formative years, this aesthetic found its way into artistic production, illustrating that colonial society, despite its struggles, had an appreciation for art.
New Amsterdam, renamed New York after 1664, became the most important center for art in America during this period. The influence of the Dutch Baroque school was particularly strong here, due in large part to the Dutch origins of the city and its settlers. Dutch artists like Rembrandt played a significant role in shaping the artistic style of the period. A group of artists, including Event Duyckinck, Jacob Striicker, Augustine Herrman, Jan Dirchzen, and Hendrik Couturier, worked within the Baroque tradition, their works showing clear influences of the Dutch master Rembrandt.
Key Characteristics of the Dutch Baroque School:
- Realism: One of the defining features of the Dutch Baroque School was its commitment to depicting the world realistically. Artists focused on accurate details, such as the texture of objects, natural light, and lifelike human expressions.
- Genre Painting: The Dutch Baroque School is known for its genre paintings, which depicted scenes from everyday life, such as domestic interiors, taverns, markets, and rural landscapes. These paintings often contained subtle moral messages.
- Still Life: Still life painting, a genre focusing on inanimate objects such as flowers, food, and everyday household items, became highly popular. These works were often laden with symbolic meanings, such as the transient nature of life and wealth (vanitas themes).
- Portraiture: Portraits, especially group portraits, were common, reflecting the rise of the middle class and civic pride. Artists like Rembrandt excelled in capturing the personality and inner life of their subjects.
- Landscape: Dutch artists became renowned for their landscape paintings, capturing the flat, watery terrain of the Netherlands, often with a focus on light and weather. These landscapes were both realistic and idealized.
- Use of Light: Dutch Baroque artists were masters of light, using it to create dramatic contrasts between illuminated areas and shadows (chiaroscuro). This technique was used not only to highlight details but also to give emotional depth to the scenes.
2. The Equestrian Portrait of Nicholas William Stuyvesant (1666)
Rembrandt – The Polish Rider
The Equestrian Portrait of Nicholas William Stuyvesant (1666), a notable example of early American painting, is a Baroque work sometimes attributed to Hendrik Couturier. The portrait is reminiscent of Rembrandt’s The Rider (1659) and displays the techniques of foreshortening and emphasis on the prominence of the subject’s head, a stylistic approach that had become common in late-seventeenth-century Dutch painting. This portrait highlights the way in which New York, as a colonial center, maintained a strong connection to Dutch artistic traditions.
The Man with the Golden Helmet
This painting also demonstrates the influence of Rembrandt’s The Man in the Gold Helmet (1646), with its dramatic use of light and the positioning of the figure. In colonial New York, painters adopted these European techniques but applied them to new subjects — in this case, an American figure — thereby helping to develop an emerging American art tradition.
3. The Influence of Dutch Painting on English Art
The influence of Dutch Baroque realism extended beyond New Amsterdam and New York. After 1620, Dutch painting began to supplant earlier Flemish and German traditions that had been dominant in Europe. This shift is evident in the transition away from the style of Hans Holbein, a prominent artist of the earlier German school, to the realism and depth of Dutch Baroque painters.
In London, artists such as Gerard van Honthorst and Daniel Mytens, both Dutch, played key roles in introducing Dutch Baroque realism to English painting. These artists influenced English portraiture, and this impact spread to the American colonies. Outside London, in regions like East Anglia, where many New England settlers originated, the Dutch manner was particularly influential. This is reflected in the art produced in the early American colonies, particularly in New England, where Dutch influence was blended with English provincial styles.
Granida and Daifilo, 1625 by Gerard van Honthorst
James Hamilton, Earl of Arran in 1623, aged 17. Tate Britain, London by Daniel Mytens
4. The Portrait of Dr. John Clarke by Augustine Clemens (1664)
One of the earliest known portraits painted in New England is the Portrait of Dr. John Clarke (1664) by Augustine Clemens. Clemens, like Evert Duyckinck, was trained as a decorative glass and heraldry painter, rather than a traditional portraitist. His training is evident in the details of the painting, particularly in the still life elements like the skull, which reflects the memento mori tradition — a reminder of mortality often seen in European art.
The portrait, though competent and well-schooled, remains an example of an English provincial style transplanted to America. R. Peter Mooz, in his analysis, notes that while the painting is reflective and technically skilled, it is not uniquely American. Rather, it is a provincial English work that found its way into the colonies. The influence of Dutch Baroque realism is present, but the painting still operates within the stylistic boundaries set by English provincial traditions.
Key Points:
- Art in America after 1664: The emergence of distinctly American paintings occurred after 1664, once society had developed to a point where resources could be devoted to artistic endeavors.
- Baroque Style in Early American Art: Both New York and Boston were centers of early American art, adopting the opulent Baroque style from Europe. New York’s Dutch heritage was particularly influential in shaping its art scene.
- Dutch Influence in America: Dutch Baroque realism, particularly the work of Rembrandt, had a profound impact on American colonial art, especially in New York, where artists like Hendrik Couturier and Event Duyckinck followed in the Dutch tradition.
- English and Dutch Blending in New England: The English provincial style in New England was also influenced by Dutch Baroque realism, as seen in works like The Portrait of Dr. John Clarke by Augustine Clemens. This painting illustrates the blend of English and Dutch influences in early American portraiture.
- Provincial English Style: Despite Dutch influences, much of early American art remained rooted in provincial English traditions, with artists trained in decorative arts, such as glass painting, producing portraits that were technically skilled but not yet fully American in character.
Summary for Memorization (Pass Notes):
- Post-1664 Development: American paintings began to emerge after 1664, when society could afford artistic expression.
- Baroque Influence: Early American art, especially in Boston and New York, reflected the grand Baroque style. Dutch artists were highly influential in New York.
- Key Artists and Works: Equestrian portraits like Nicholas William Stuyvesant (1666) echoed Rembrandt’s techniques; Dr. John Clarke by Augustine Clemens (1664) in New England exemplified English provincial style with Dutch influence.
- Dutch Realism: Dutch painting influenced not only New York but also English settlers in New England, shaping the early American art scene.