Symbolism In Eastman Johnson's Negro Life At The South?

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Nature was not the only thing at risk during the Industrial Revolution. The social structure was being challenged by social justice leaders around the country. The feminist and abolition movements swept the nation, and the art scene. Artists took to showing the injustice of slavery through various paintings. Robert Duncanson’s painting Uncle Tom and Little Eva, shows the flawed logic of white supremacy. The little girl in the painting is standing while the African American man is sitting under her. This symbolizes that even though he is much older and bigger, she is in charge of him. Eastman Johnson’s Negro Life at the South (Old Kentucky Home), shows how African Americans lived, the terrible conditions in which they lived, in the south. Art of this nature sparked the idea in many minds that the institution of slavery could not survive in a free nation. The abolitionist movement gained steam and eventually flung America into the civil war. The art that publicized these issues The Brooklyn Bridge was a symbol of power, America did something no one else has done. America also built massive skyscrapers, like the Tribune Building to symbolize their progress. Americans felt a sense of pride and patriotism that was much needed after the Civil War. Another movement happening in big cities was the City Beautiful Movement. After the Industrial Revolution cities were nasty places. Mayors and other donors decided to make these cities more inviting. Cities like New York and Chicago are majorly inspired by this movement. When Chicago burned down in 1871, they rebuilt the city to be beautiful and white for purity. Cities felt the need to reinvent because people now had more leisure time and should be attracted to the events in the cities. Because of this movement, places that were once gross and industrial are inviting and lively, changing where many people who spend their free time throughout

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