Early American settlers saw the wilderness as something wild that had to be “conquered and civilized in the name of Christianity and progress” (Roderick Nash, "The Cultural Significance of the American Wilderness").
1. Visit the National Endowment for the Humanities art gallery, called Picturing America.
2. Enter the gallery and go to the second page. On the top left hand corner, you will see two pictures. Click on the picture of the first picture, a landscape by Thomas Cole (1801-1848). This is a landscape from a valley in Connecticut.
- Read the paragraph titled “Inspiration”. Write a short paragraph (5-7 sentences) on what you see in this picture and how it makes you feel. Why is this described as a ‘split’ representation of the valley?
3. Go back to the gallery. Now click on the picture of the Native American. This painting by N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) was actually the cover of James Fenimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans.
- Looking at this painting, how would you describe this man? What kinds of inferences can you make regarding his character and personality? What do you think is important to him?
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