Early-To Mid-Twentieth Century Art November 11, 2009

The birth of the twentieth century in America brought great social and economic change. The spread of industrialization created a tremendous growth of factories and cities, causing many people to feel as if they were losing their individuality, becoming anonymous among the masses. Through many different stylistic characteristics, art of the early-to mid-twentieth century reflects the notion that life was becoming overwhelmingly complicated. Many Americans longed to return to a simpler time. As a result, a style of art called American Scene painting emerged. Strong in national pride with a focus on purely American rural and urban scenes, small towns and people, the style became popular, particularly in the South, where many felt that Southern culture was vanishing under the weight of the new industrial age. Yet while a great number of artists created images of rural America and Southern ways of life, Southern artists were not oblivious to the new styles of art that had made their way from Europe into America. German expressionism, emphasizing vivid and emotional brushwork and color and formalist styles of art, emphasizing form and color, over the recognizable representation of a subject, can be seen in the work of some Southern artists.