Picturing the Fourth of July

Americans for the past decade seem more caught up than ever in the idea of what it is to be an American, especially in an election year and perhaps never so much as on the Fourth of July—the day on which we celebrate the Declaration of Independence that inaugurated this little experiment in democracy we’ve been performing for over two centuries. To see a picture of the Fourth of July 2012, all you need to do is look out your window at the parades, barbeques, and fireworks. But to look back two centuries and see the Fourth of July circa 1812, perhaps our best glimpse appears in John Lewis Krimmel’s Fourth of July, Center Square (detail shown above). Krimmel’s genre scene of Americans celebrating America back then allows us to see how our celebration today mirrors and, perhaps, distorts what our ancestors saw as most important for our country. Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "Picturing the Fourth of July."

[Image: John Lewis Krimmel. Fourth of July, Center Square (detail), 1811-1812.]

Stars and Stripes Forever

A Happy Independence Day to all Americans all around the world! We all have our differing opinions, especially in election years, of what direction our country should take, but we can all agree that we want our country to be the best that it can be not only for ourselves but for all the people on our fragile planet. Jasper Johns’ Flag (above, from 1954-1955) shows his Cold War-influenced take on Old Glory, which still makes us look at the flag afresh as something alive rather than a relic of the past. I recently watched the masterful anti-war film In the Valley of Elah, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron, and recommend it to anyone who thinks that the flag no longer has any meaning.

Of course, the Fourth of July is primarily a day of rest and recreation for Americans. I plan on grilling up something tasty for the family. Perhaps Bobby Flay will drop by for a Throwdown! I’ll be ready with my big, blue insulated glove to meet the challenge. John Lewis Krimmel painted some of the earliest scenes of Independence Day celebrations, including one from 1819 shown above. Growing up in Philadelphia and working my entire adult life literally a block away from Independence Hall, I’ve always been fascinated with the history of Independence Day and how Philadelphia, despite all its current problems, always becomes the center of attention on that special day.

If you’d like to channel all those patriotic feelings you're experiencing today into a good cause, please consider signing up for eMail Our Military, which takes the idea of pen pals into the electronic age. eMOM will connect you with a service member looking for some mail to brighten their day. For people whose lives are often pure chaos, the normalcy of your life, which may seem boring to you, is pure ambrosia to them. Just the idea that someone is out there bathing babies, chopping vegetables, or even grilling burgers on the deck brings a slice of home to them and makes their sacrifices seem worthwhile. I’m no supporter of the war, but I support every man and woman fighting it and would bring them all home in a second, if I could. Failing that, bringing home to them seems the least we can do.

[Many thanks to Christine at PurpleCar for letting the talented and beautiful Annie know about eMOM and to Annie for passing it on to me.]

American Hogarth

John Lewis Krimmel, born Johann Ludwig Krimmel on this date in 1786, recorded life in his adopted country of colonial America and earned the nickname of “The American Hogarth.” His dramatic Conflagration of the Masonic Hall, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1819 appears above. (Other paintings by Krimmel appear here. )

Much of what we know about how life appeared in colonial times comes from Krimmel’s images. Above, Krimmel captures the celebrations of the Fourth of July in Center Square in 1812 in Philadelphia. Each time I see this painting at the PAFA, my eyes go directly to William Rush ’s Water Nymph and Bittern, the white statue in the rear of a classically attired woman holding a bird on her shoulder. Thomas Eakins immortalized this statue in a series of paintings imagining the scene where Rush carved the statue before his nude model. My eyes then go to the left-hand side of the picture, where the revelers are lining up for drinks.

Krimmel shows the 1819 version of Fourth of July celebrations in this image above. This celebration takes place in Center Square as well. The circular building at the center of both paintings is the same, except from different angles over the space of seven years. The prevalence of military costume among the partygoers reflects the increased military consciousness of the young country, fresh off of the War of 1812 and just gearing up for the Indian Wars spearheading the drive of Manifest Destiny across the continent.

I find Krimmel’s nickname “The American Hogarth” to be a little deceiving. Hogarth’s work featured a narrative power and satirical bent, where Krimmel painted in a gentler, more documentary style. The Christmas image above from the 1810s shows a typical German-style Christmas, which he would have been very familiar with, complete with tiny tree on a table and gifts piled on plates. Such a Christmas celebration was atypical for non-German Americans at that time, giving us a glimpse at a world and a time very different from our own.

Sadly, Krimmel died in a swimming accident in 1821 at the age of 34. How many more images of early America, such as the Election Scene, State House in Philadelphia 1815 (above), which shows what we know today as Independence Hall in the background, could he have passed down to us?