John Gast Painting American Progress Meaning

It has been referred to as the classic image of the doctrine of american manifest destiny consider the meaning and implications of light and darkness in the gospel of john.

John gast painting american progress meaning. Sandweiss amherst college historian martha a. Historically this would lead to native americans being driven out or removed onto reservations. John gast american progress 1872 martha a. Technological social political economic scientific and personal.

American progress follows the tradition of romanticism which began in europe. John gasts painting american progress is an example of this it was printed in traveling guides at the time and through different displays of symbolism it portrays western expansion by. American progress by john gast 1872 while manifest destiny was the ideological conceit the crowded prairie coyne p5 which justified expansionism visual propaganda like this engraving by john gast was used to promote the westward movement of the population to link eastern and western states to inspire thousands of easterners to seek out a new life in the new lands. Gasts painting by george crofutt that accompanied this widely distributed painting.

An allegory is a visible symbol representing an abstract idea. The title american progress reflects the idea of manifest destiny the development and civilization of the american west. John gasts american progress makes this even more explicit. The painting was created in 1872 during which manifest destiny was a prevalent belief in the united states.

In the painting gast shows that it was the americas destiny to expand spread technology and civilize the untamed west. An influential marketing piece and symbol of the times the story the painting tells equates progress with achievement. Allegory the painting is an allegory of manifest destiny. This manifest destiny painting called american progress spirit of the frontier was painted in 1872 by john gast 1842 1893.

American progress an allegory of manifest destiny was widely disseminated in chromolithographic prints. Sandweiss demonstrates how john gasts 1872 painting which was widely disseminated as a commercial color print conveys a range of ideas about the frontier in nineteenth century america. American progress 1872 is a patriotic painting by john gast portraying the beauty of our countrys expansion. Exhibit website 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.