19th-century American painting

19th-century American painting reflects a dynamic period of artistic development, capturing the nation’s expanding identity. Artists like Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstadt portrayed grand landscapes to showcase the beauty of the American wilderness and manifest destiny. Meanwhile, genre painters such as Winslow Homer depicted everyday life and societal issues with realism, and portrait artists like Charles Willson Peale emphasized individual character. The period also saw the rise of American Impressionism and realism, blending European influences with local themes, ultimately shaping a distinct American artistic voice rooted in landscape, genre, and innovative techniques.