YINCHENG ART
A history of American Illustration
The Golden Age of Illustrations in the United States can be traced back to the Civil War period, when a group of painters traveled as art journalists to and from the front lines, drawing numerous illustrations of the lives of frontline soldiers and publishing them in newspapers and magazines. Like the famous painter Homer, he was sent to the Virginia front line by the Harper Weekly to realistically depict the war situation. After the war, he drew a large number of vivid, natural, and poetic illustrations of American rural life, which were loved by the American commoners. In the 1830s, with the development of the Western United States, many painters also rushed to the West at the invitation of newspapers and magazines, creating a considerable number of illustrations reflecting the lives of pioneers, herders, gold miners, and Native Americans, which had a widespread impact. Representative painters include Remington, William Henry, and others. In the second half of the 19th century, American illustration gradually entered its heyday, and with the increasing popularity of overall education in the United States, the publication of journals and books became increasingly prosperous. The printing level has significantly improved, and the level of illustrations, as one of the elements of books, has also significantly improved. During this period, the United States had a diverse group of illustrators, with a prominent group concentrated between New York and Delaware, surrounding the illustrator Howard Pyle, forming the famous "Brandy School" in history. There were many illustrators with high levels of skill and excellent works. Andrew Wyeth, the father of the famous contemporary American painter, was a famous illustrator who followed Pyle at that time.
Howard Pyle (1853-1911)
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1853, he studied painting at the Philadelphia Art School in the United States in his early years, and later went to the New York Art Students Union for further study. His works were deeply influenced by the German painter Durer, inherited the traditional European realistic painting style, and was also influenced by the popular Art Nouveau at that time, which was reflected in his illustrations. His representative works include The Adventures of Robin Hood, King Arthur and His Knights, and Otto the Silver Hand. He is a famous American illustrator and writer. He is a rare master figure who has great attainments in writing and painting, and is respected as the father of American illustrators. In 1900, he founded Howard Pyle Art School in his hometown of Wilmington. The entrance examination was very strict, and only 20 students were admitted at a time. Apart from living expenses and tuition fees, the school was completely free, and teaching was strictly managed. The students lived a Spartacan life. Here, not only do we teach basic painting techniques, but we also pay more attention to cultivating students' imagination and creativity, cultivating a large number of illustration talents. Illustrator Old Wise is his favorite student. He is not only a famous illustrator in American history, but also played a very important role in promoting and laying the foundation for the development of illustration in the United States.
Rockwell Kent(1882-1971)
Born on June 21, 1882 in Taretown, New York. I studied architecture at Columbia University during my youth. In 1905, his works were first exhibited at the National Academy of Fine Arts in New York, and the following year he held a solo art exhibition. Kent was greatly influenced by the American painter Robert Henri in art. In 1910, Kent and Henry jointly organized an independent exhibition, which stood against the official exhibition. Kent is also a navigator. He used to travel by boat to the newly reclaimed areas of Maine and Alaska, where he learned subjects and created many oil paintings and prints depicting the local natural scenery. He also wrote some books about sailing life and drew many wonderful illustrations for these books, the most outstanding of which is the Wilderness Collection published in 1920. Kent's printmaking illustrations are mostly based on characters. The artist uses beautiful and complete character designs to express the sublime and dignity of human beings, extol their heroic emotions, and praise their creativity. The characters in his paintings all have idealistic colors. The unity of man and nature is his prominent feature in art. The image of the mother and son in the painting "Homeland" is as imposing as the carved Greek statues, with a stable, strong, and unconquerable heroic spirit. Kent often portrays object objects in woodcut paintings with stunning black and white contrasts and concise light and dark boundaries, achieving a high degree of harmony and perfection in the characters and backgrounds of the painting.