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Running head: ART WORK 1

Art work

Name

Institution

ART WORK 2

First image

Mathew Pratt is a famous American painter who lived between 1734 and 1805. He is

commonly known as a colonial painter who resided in London. One of his famous works is this

canvas called The American School and was exhibited with the society of artists Great Britain. In

the historic art of America, this particular work is unique and accorded high esteem to the artist

(Susan R, 2001).

With no complex knowledge of artwork, a person can conclude that the artwork shows a

group of students in a studio. Also, there is a clear difference of the man standing on the left and

the rest. He seems to be the instructor while the rest follow his guidance. The other members in

the picture remain to be under one classification hence you can refer to them as students.

The figures are incomplete clothing. However, the appropriate clothes depicted in the

image are not of the same color indicating a possible difference in the figures in the portrait.

Possibly, the figures in black clothes are students while the guy in green is the instructor. Also,

the figures are represented in full size such that you can view all the representation right from the

legs to the head. Only two figures are not displayed in full since they are behind a table. On the

far side of the scene, the smallest of all and most likely the youngest seems to remove a few sets

of paper from a portfolio. The second student, who is possibly older than the first one pause in

the act of doing some drawing on a ruined piece that, is placed on the table.

Primary importance

The picture mainly shows an art scene in a London studio known to belong to Benjamin

West. Benjamin West is, therefore, the standing figure on the left in the portrait. Based on other

complex and honored artworks, Pratt (the author) is the man at the easel and is a successful

ART WORK 3

portrait painter. West is seen instructing the other three attentive figures in drawing from the

antique the skillful learning exercise. However, the other figures in the painting remain

unidentified. The only thing that you can be certain about is that they are younger and the mainly

draw rather than paint. The mixture of age in this setup clearly illustrates a traditional academic

setup as it used to be in America back in the 18th century. To add more meaning to this work, it

is likely that Pratt took specific characteristics such as distinctively almond-shaped eye as per his

observations of Wollaston works which were a famous artist from Philadelphia.

Secondary importance

It can take a long argument trying to illustrate who Pratt is in this portrait. In artwork, it is

not necessary to name all the players in such a portrait. The most significant part is to ion this

portrait is to realize that the scene tries to illustrate an ongoing attempt to shape the public insight

of a colonial painter (Susan R, 2001). The driving ambition of the author confirms the diffidence

and humility of the American schooling system during the colonial period. The American school

represented in this scene predicts a vigorous American society which has an official and leading

role in the attempt to establish British uniformity with the major artwork achievements with the

entire western world. Personally, I feel that the work is far more motivated than has been

credited in the past.

Tertiary importance

The statute in this drawing refers to the classical past of the western art. However, the

antiquity here seems to be leaning towards the modern since the bust is drawn so that it appears

to observe the lesson. Also, it depicts a child who is far much younger than any of the students

ART WORK 4

present in this drawing. The child is of age when his intellect and motor skills are yet to be

developed to benefit from artistic training like the one depicted in the portrait.

Second image

This particular painting was done by John Trumbull, a famous artist from Lebanon who

lived between 1756 and 1843. Also, it was published in New York in 1789. In art, this work is

classified as a painting, and there is much that we can read from it. One of the significance of

such work is to record history and store it for future purposes (William S, 1983).

Any person can deduce a few conclusions from the artwork even without having prior

knowledge of a similar picture or the entire scope of knowledge in the artwork. The painting

clearly shows a battlefield. The battle seems to have come to an end. One of the soldiers on one

side who seems to be the leader appears to have been captured as his troops are fleeing away.

This must be the captain of the fleeing soldiers. On the other hand, the soldiers who have worn

the battle are celebrating their victory as they watch their enemy flee.

Primary importance

In a real sense, this particular artwork shows the events that fell on the night of

November 26, 1781. During this night, the mighty British troops who had been besieged for long

by their enemy, (the Spanish forces) made a surprise/ sudden/ sortie against their intruding

enemy batteries. The image indicates clearly what followed on that night since the British forces

managed to repel their enemy. The focal point of this particular image shows the catastrophic

death of a Spanish officer Don Jose De Barboza. This soldier, who is believed to be the lead

team, was abandoned by his fellow men. Also, the fleeing troop seems to be concerned by the

fact that they have left one of their soldiers behind even though they look helpless for that matter

ART WORK 5

(William S, 1983). As a show of courage and might, the principal officer decided to face the

enemy alone. However, he was mortally wounded and fell. His refusal of assistance from his

fellow men made him die near his post a courageous man.

Secondary importance

The author of this image depicts the soldier (Don Jose De Barboza) rejecting aid from the

General George Eliot (commander of the British troops) and his fellow men. The general

therefore had to let him die since he could not accept any help from him. In case he agreed to

receive the helping hand, he would have been taken as a prisoner and save his head. His fellow

soldiers lost him painfully but helplessly.

Tertiary importance

This work is majorly the largest and the last of three versions done by this author.

Trumbull started to work on it in the year 1786 and published it later in 1789. He took his

precious time to give it all the qualities of an artwork as has been done by many other successful

artists. This work makes him stand out as a major artist in history. Also, this great piece of work

shows his capability to solidify his repute with regards to the class of highly respected genre of

historical painting.

Comparing the two works

The two artworks are two great pieces of artwork that can be used as a reference by

several future art students. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of lessons that one can draw from

ART WORK 6

this particular works especially on how to illustrate and convey an important message through

art.

Numerous aspects of art are common in these artworks. For instance, both authors have

used figures in their works with full clothing. Full dress in the artwork is precisely used to

illustrate how casual or official the theme of the art is. Both scenes in the arts are not mainly

meant to entertain rather drive important historical message. The authors, therefore, prefer to use

figures with full clothing and not nude figures.

The main association of this different artworks is the theme color used by both artists.

They have used yellow as their main color may be to present the themes of the art in a particular

way. And finally, the main disconnection between the two works is that The American school

work is done indoors (in a studio) while the second work The Sortie Made by the Garrison of

Gibraltar uses an open environment ( a battlefield).

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References

Susan R, (2001). A Painter’s Progress; Mathew Pratt and The American School. [Online]

Retrieved September 2001

William S, (1983). The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar in the Morning of the 27 of

November 1781. [Online] Retrieved June 1983

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