American Paintings is a free, brief course that narrowly focuses on paintings by American artists as a vehicle for telling the American story through art. It’s a perfect accompaniment for a junior or senior high course in U.S. history.
The course begins with an introduction by college president Dr. Larry Arnn, which is followed by four lectures taught by Sam Knecht, Professor Emeritus of Art at Hillsdale College. The lectures each run about one hour and are followed by quizzes.
The themed lectures are titled:
- American Heroes
- Landscapes and Cityscapes
- Everyday Americans
- Battle Scenes
Most of the artworks discussed in the course are realistic scenes, portraits, and landscapes, although sometimes idealized in their portrayal. However, as the discussion moves into the modern era, the artworks include examples of abstract expressionism. Some paintings are widely recognizable, while others are likely to be more obscure to most students.
The study guide for each lecture is a visual catalog of the paintings discussed. One lecture also has a study guide that presents an article by Winston Churchill titled “Painting as a Pastime.”
Knecht discusses artworks one at a time, telling background stories about both artists and their subjects. For example, we learn how and why Gilbert Stuart painted so many similar portraits of George Washington. Knecht often uses large reproductions of artworks that allow students to observe details in ways not usually possible with online reproductions. I thought the selected artworks for each theme were excellent examples, and the changing styles they demonstrated over time accurately reflected historical and cultural developments.
Knecht also discusses artistic techniques and schools of art, occasionally contrasting two paintings and their artists’ techniques. Sometimes, he breaks from the lecture to discuss and demonstrate art techniques, such as the use of a contrapposto pose for standing figures that helps portraits look more natural. The art technique demonstrations should interest even those who never intend to paint because they help viewers understand the composition of artworks and identify artists’ goals.
It's evident that Knecht assumes his audience is at least culturally Christian through occasional comments, but this isn’t a religious course.
The quiz after each lecture presents 5 multiple-choice questions, and the final quiz has ten. The quizzes are scored automatically, and students must complete all quizzes before they can take the final quiz.
Summary
American Paintings draws students into history through art in a manner that should appeal to older students. This free course takes so little time that it should be easy to slot in as a supplement to the study of U.S. history.
