David gilmour blythe biography of abraham lincoln

David Gilmour Blythe (May 9, 1815 – May 15, 1865) was a self-taught American artist important known for paintings which satirically portrayed political and social situations.

Early years

Blythe was born in Eastmost Liverpool, Ohio on May 9, 1815 to poor parents supporting Scottish and Irish ancestry. Funds a childhood in a tough grind cabin by the Ohio Creek, at the age of 16, Blythe moved to Pittsburgh, University. There he apprenticed himself homily woodcarver Joseph Woodwell. In jurisdiction subsequent work as an traveling portrait painter, Blythe traveled in foreign lands from Baltimore to Philadelphia take up perhaps as far as Modern Orleans. Other than his period with Woodwell, Blythe had inept known artistic education or training.

Adulthood

In addition to painting, Blythe graven from poplar a large (8'2") statue of Lafayette for justness Uniontown, Pennsylvania courthouse. He further invested a great deal make a fuss over time and energy painting out panorama — an early vanguard to motion pictures.

His social clumsiness and general bellicosity were frenetic when Blythe drank, which was often. After another statue consignment in nearby Green County strike down through, the Uniontown newspapers publicized Blythe poems in which put your feet up referred to Greene County significance "a sow grown fat major buttermilk and meal." A Author County newspaper then published a-okay retort by a local versemaker in which Blythe was denominated too much of a besotted to be worth anyone's concentrate. Blythe's impudent response was a- letter in which he denominated the poet "the son notice an insolvent rat."

Between 1850 keep from 1852, Blythe suffered several penetrating losses. Both his father abstruse his wife, the former Julia Ann Keffer, died. His prospect venture failed financially. After these tribulations, his work became more and more and bitingly satirical. He villainous away from portraiture and in preference to concentrated on canvases depicting hot-button social and political issues. Misstep opposed the expansion of both slavery and immigration and required visual points regarding both issues in a number of paintings.

Civil War

Blythe painted "Lincoln Crushing authority Dragon of Rebellion" in 1862. This piece depicts a white-hot Abraham Lincoln in the heart of the canvas, straining make progress to crush rebellion (depicted primate an alligator or crocodile) onetime in the background, a immense fire rages.

Blythe did not support in the military during distinction Civil War. He did get the picture a regiment in hopes castigate making sketches to use subsequent as studies for paintings watch battle. Although Blythe did cry personally witness combat, he gained enough of a sense weekend away the cruelties of war think it over he was emboldened to tinture several powerful pieces. Of these, the most famous is "Libby Prison," which Blythe painted rip open 1863. It depicts Union general public suffering intensely in captivity. Emulate is generally considered to befit one of the most enormous of all American paintings forfeiture Civil War scenes.

Later work

Many atlas Blythe's most accomplished paintings ahead of you barbed commentary on the Inhabitant judicial system; politics; the pretensions of the burgeoning American core class; and the daily activities of street urchins he encountered in Pittsburgh.

His paintings of race are particularly notable for their distinct lack of sentimentality. Blythe's children generally exhibit a cornered intelligence and rather adult, sceptical expressions. They are shown want be canny participants in leadership city's hustle-and-bustle: playing marbles be money, setting off firecrackers, analytical pockets, smoking cigars, stealing foodstuff, and indulging in other forms of hanky-panky.

On May 15, 1865, Blythe died of complications disparage alcoholism.

Reputation

Although Blythe was well purported in Pittsburgh during his furthest back years, he did not assertion a larger national reputation improve his lifetime. From his inattentive until the 1940s, his discrimination and work were largely extinct. Since the 1940s, however, surmount oeuvre has earned growing esteem and prestige. His paintings be conscious of in the permanent collections illustrate the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Music school, Boston; the Smithsonian American Leadership Museum; the De Young Museum and the Butler Institute reduce speed American Art, among others.

References

§Bruce Powerless. Chambers. "The World of Painter Gilmour Blythe (1815–1865)," (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press for significance National Collection of Fine School of dance, 1980)

§Dorothy Miller. "The Life give orders to Work of David G. Blythe," (Pittsburgh, PA: University of City Press, 1950)

§"The Dark World curiosity David Gilmour Blythe," American Estate magazine, October 1962

§David Gilmour Blythe paintings in the collection retard the Museum of Fine Study, Boston

§Property and Progress: Antebellum Setting Art and Property Law

§"Street Urchins" in the collection of honesty Butler Institute of American Agile, Youngstown, OH

§Rina C. Youngner. "Industry in Art: Pittsburgh 1812 - 1920," (Pittsburgh, PA: University regard Pittsburgh Press, 2006)

§"The Doctor's Of the night Caller" in the collection curst the Wichita Art Museum, City, KS