Class dates: Tuesdays, March 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21 (5 weeks)

Class time: 10:00 am to 11:30 am

Location: Online (via Zoom)

This course will explore five of the most prominent American artists during our Revolutionary War; their artistic contributions, as well as their involvement with the war. Although Benjamin West spent the period of the war in London, he trained and inspired three generations of American artists. While John Singleton Copley tried to take a bipartisan approach during the war, Charles Wilson Peale was an exemplary patriot and served under George Washington. Gilbert Stuart, a Loyalist, spent the war in Great Britain, yet with his return in 1793, his paintings of George Washington became icons of the Revolutionary War. We’ll complete our study with John Trumbull, personal aide to Washington, who has been referred to as The Painter of the Revolution.

Optional Reading : Of Arms and Artists, Paul Staiti, Bloomsbury Press, 2016,ISBN#HB:978-1-63286–465-9

Instructor: Martha Chiarchiaro  has brought history to life through the art of the times for more than 30 years. She received her Masters’ degree in the History of Art from Williams College and teaches a variety of art history courses at the Worcester Art Museum and other local cultural organizations. Her specialty courses related to specific periods, artists, and activities provide a more in-depth look at the life and times of the people who are part of the exploration. Martha is fascinated by American history and the role of American artists in portraying the Revolutionary War.