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February 24, 2006 - 2011
Harman, Marriott, Barker and Barlow galleries

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American Dreams: Selected Works from the Museum’s Permanent Collection of American Art is a new exhibition of the Museum’s permanent collection. It replaced 150 Years of American Painting, which was on view for 11 years. American Dreams is presented on both levels of the Museum and includes prints, sculpture and photography, as well as painting. The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections — “The Dream of Eden,” “American Aspirations” and “Envisioning America“ — that examine the artworks of 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century American artists as ideas or visions of America. The exhibition will be on view through 2011.

The Dream of Eden

This section, which includes many landscape paintings, evokes the vision of America as a new Eden. Since the dawn of time, man has yearned for a return to a “golden age,” a time when nature was untouched by civilization, and humanity lived in harmony with its surroundings. The discovery of the New World awoke this “Dream of Eden” within many Europeans who saw the new land as a chance to return to a paradisiacal glory that had been lost to modern society.

American artists often echo this vision of America in their work. Some create romanticized landscapes unspoiled by humanity. Others create pastoral scenes that incorporate human and animal life into an idyllic landscape.

In the mid-1800s, the exploration of the American West rekindled the Dream of Eden in many Americans who were anxious to escape crowded cities and industrialization in the East. The West became a new Eden, an untouched frontier where Americans could re-establish paradise. Artists followed the well-worn trails west, capturing the spirit and ideals of westward expansion.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, America’s resources no longer seemed limitless and their use came with repercussions. Some artists, particularly photographers, began to examine our stewardship in caring for the land. These works depict a lost Eden, as well as the efforts to reclaim its splendor.

American Aspirations

The portrayals of comfort, refinement and leisure in this section reflect and perpetuate the vision of America as a land of opportunity for achievement and success. “American Aspirations” explores the historic promise of an abundant and comfortable American way of life.

Portraits and still lifes in this section illustrate an American ideal of affluence and ease. The portraits depict individuals at the pinnacle of comfort and culture, members of genteel, upper-class society. Their portraits are visible proof of the realization of the American Dream — the fulfillment of the hopes and ambitions of millions of workers.

Artistic conceptions of leisure activities from traditional horse racing, to ballet, to images of popular entertainers also appear in this part of the exhibition. These artworks create a dialog about the ideal of affording leisure and entertainment, a privilege typically associated with refined, genteel society, and its transformation into a democratic principle inherent to the American Dream. Leisure and entertainment of the upper class became increasingly accessible to a wider range of American society. The growing culture of entertainment and recreation began to shape a new American way of life.

Envisioning America

The artworks in this section convey multiple visions of the nation as portrayed by American artists. Early examples reflected and perpetuated a vision of America as heir to the values of Western civilization, such as democracy, classical order, and Christianity. American artists of this era appropriated European styles and Christian sensibilities to mythologize the founding events of the nation.

After the Civil War, America experienced an industrial boom and became a wealthy nation. Citizens of the new country tested their identity against the countries of Europe. Self-consciousness about America’s reputation as a cultural backwater spurred attempts to prove cultural sophistication. American artists studied art in Paris and Munich, and emulated modern European styles well into the 20th century.

America emerged as a new world power after World War I. Following World War II, the nation realized its identity as one of the most powerful nations on earth. Some American artists celebrated the achievements of their country, while others exercised their right of free speech to critique society.