American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery
An Exhibition Presented in Three Parts
This exhibition draws upon the Gallery’s renowned collection of American art to illuminate the diverse and evolving American experience from the time of the settlements of the 17th century to the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. The works in this exhibition—including treasures such as John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence and Winslow Homer’s Morning Bell—now return to New Haven for a three-part presentation.
The second installment, “Defining the Nation”, returns to colonial times to trace the growth of great wealth that the agrarian economy and transatlantic trade with England, western Europe, and the Caribbean produced for some Americans. As the nation continued to prosper with the development of industry in the 19th century, the American belief in the importance of education enriched a new generation of young minds, and artisans created objects that celebrated intellectual and artistic achievement.
The free audio tour for the exhibition, available at the Gallery’s Information Desk, features commentary by Yale professors, including Jules Prown, Jon Butler, and Robert Farris Thompson; and Gallery curators.
Part I (completed):
We the People
July 29–December 31, 2011
Part II:
Defining the Nation
January 31–April 8, 2012
Part III:
America Rising
May 8–July 8, 2012
