Redefining American History Painting (Cambridge Studies in American Visual Culture)

Redefining American History Painting reassesses an important genre within the history of American painting, from prehistoric times to the present. By broadening the parameters of history painting to include works by previously marginalized groups, this anthology collectively extends the genre's traditional time frame well beyond the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to which it has been traditionally confined. The essays recapture the importance of history painting for contemporary readers, decode meanings of significant works in new ways, and demonstrate the ongoing and vital role of the genre as well. Situating the enterprise of history painting within a theoretical framework that analyzes how it actually works, Redefining American History Painting includes eighteen chapters that range from investigations of individual paintings to patronage and reception studies incorporating diverse methodological approaches.