Nocturne: Night in American Art, 1890†“1917

Description

A beautifully illustrated look at the vogue for night landscapes amid the social, political, and technological changes of modern America The turn of the 20th century witnessed a surge in the creation and popularity of nocturnes and night landscapes in American art. In this original and thought-provoking book, Hélène Valance investigates why artists and viewers of the era were so captivated by the night. Nocturne examines works by artists such as James McNeill Whistler, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Frederic Remington, Edward Steichen, and Henry Ossawa Tanner through the lens of the scientific developments and social issues that dominated the period. Valance argues that the success of the genre is connected to the resonance between the night and the many forces that affected the era, including technological advances that expanded the realm of the visible, such as electric lighting and photography; Jim Crow–era race relations; America’s closing frontier and imperialism abroad; and growing anxiety about identity and social values amid rapid urbanization. This absorbing study features 150 illustrations encompassing paintings, photographs, prints, scientific illustration, advertising, and popular media to explore the predilection for night imagery as a sign of the times. Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Part I Antivisions. The Redefinition of Vision by Science and Technology 1. A Paradoxical Aesthetics 2. The Image in Crisis Vision Questioned by Science and Technology 3. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction 4. Visions of the Mind and Spirit Part II. Heart of Darkness The Nocturne as Metaphor for Racial Dierence 5. Inverted Light The Nocturne in the Age of Imperialism 6. Vanishing Indians Nostalgic Reminiscence and Haunting Presence 7. A Blueblood Landscape The Nocturne as White Art in Jim Crow America Part III. Landscape Recongured Urban Nocturnes 8. Contrast, Confrontation, and Spectacle The Alterity of Urban Nights 9. Shadow Presences The Figure in the Urban Landscape 10. The Urban Nocturne and the Redenition of the American Landscape Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index Illustration Credits