AMERICANA : American Progress (2008-?)
Oil on canvas, 19"x26"
John Gast
American Progress, 1872
Oil on canvas
Repainted by a student of Brooklyn College, N.Y. 2009
In John Gast’s “American Progress,” (1872) a diaphanously and precarious clad America floats westward thru the air with the “Star of Empire” on her forehead. She has left the cities of the East behind, and the wide Mississippi, and still her course is Westward. In her right hand she carries a school book -testimonial of the national enlightenment, while with her left she trails the slender wires of the telegraph that will bind the nation. Fleeing her approach are indians, buffalo, wild horses, bears, and other game, disappearing into the storm and waves of The pacific coast. They flee the wondrous vision -the star “is Too much for them.” -precis of a contemporary description of this Painting by George Crofutt who distributed his engraving of it widely.
This painting will be defaced in the near future.
In this series:
Americana (paintings)
Americana (paintings) in "Higher Ground", Metis-NL
American Progress
Untitled (flags)