#american-art

#american-art

Jasper Johns seemed to reject the tortured, in-the-moment 'I' of Abstract Expressionism, ironically commenting on the heroism and spontaneity associated with Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning in his early work.

Joshua Johnson, born around 1763 in Maryland, was the first Black professional artist in the United States, overcoming the challenges of his early life as an enslaved person.

The work of such artists as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning wound up as part of a secret CIA program during the height of the Cold War, aimed at promoting American ideals abroad.

The Dugout is the largest and most elaborate study in oil that Rockwell made for one of his most recognisable Saturday Evening Post covers. The image is partly credited with popularising the team's reputation as the 'lovable losers.'

"The architecture, the landscape, the environment along the route has this mass appeal. It looks so American. It makes him feel more human to me, thinking about Dylan as a tourist."

Six months before his momentous first trip to the United States, Joan Miró sent a letter to his New York City gallerist, Pierre Matisse. Writing from repressive Francoist Spain in the austere aftermath of the Second World War, the Catalan artist was searching for new frontiers. "In the future world, America, with its energy and vitality, must play a leading role," he told Matisse." I have to be in New York to be in direct, personal contact with your country; my work will benefit from that shock."

The American Fine Arts Society building, home to the Art Students League, is a landmarked gem at 215 West 57th Street, its front doors swinging open at frequent intervals, offering a glimpse of the teeming creative life that still hums inside.