American Progress Painting What Is She Holding

What do you see in the image that would represent progress. In the painting gast shows that it was the americas destiny to expand spread technology and civilize the untamed west. She heads toward new lands in the west carrying a book in her right arm possibly symbolic of literature and culture and gently lays the wire of the telegraph as she advances.
american progress painting what is she holding

Here columbia intended as a personification of the united states leads.

American progress painting what is she holding. Source dependent questions the floating white woman in this painting is heading west. By john gast 1872 the above painting by john gast is a famous depiction of columbia as the female personification of america bringing enlightenment and progress from the already enlightened east to the still darkened west. Yet was americas expansion this destined peaceful movement of the country spreading west. Citation information crofutt george a american progress 1873.

The static painting thus conveys a vivid sense of the passage of time as well as of the inevitability of technological progress. The groups of human figures read from left to right convey much the same idea. How is this symbolized in the painting. Enlightenment is represented by the book she holds in her right hand and progress and civilisation by the telegraph wire she holds in her left.

In this painting america is depicted as an angelic woman who floats gracefully away from the cities in the east. The historical importance of the painting american progress by john gast is that it relays a wide range of ideas about the nineteenth centurys american frontier. The communication between lines will bind the nation. Courtesy of library of congress.

This painting was created in 1872. American progress an allegory of manifest destiny was widely disseminated in chromolithographic printsit is now held by the autry museum of the american west in los angeles california. American progress 1872 is a patriotic painting by john gast portraying the beauty of our countrys expansion. What do you think she represents.

How does this image make you feel. In her proper left hand she is trailing the telegraph wire westward. She is the figure of progress and on her forehead is a gold star the star of empire in her proper right arm she holds a book and telegraph wire is looped around her elbow. Indians precede euro american prospectors who in turn come before the farmers and settlers.

This painting circa 1872 by john gast called american progress is an allegorical representation of manifest destiny. American progress is an 1872 painting by john gast a prussian born painter printer and lithographer who lived and worked most of his life in brooklyn new york.