Figure 1.--In many cases the individual artist is unknow with primitive or naive art. This painting was probably painted about 1845-50. The pantelettes suggest an earlier date is unlikely.
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Figure 1.--In many cases the individual artist is unknow with primitive or naive art. This painting was probably painted about 1845-50. The pantelettes suggest an earlier date is unlikely. |
American primitive art is also commonly referred to as naive or folk art. It refers generally to the work of self-taught artists who create art in their
own style and without the presumptions and inhibitions instilled by formal training. Naive artists are self-taught artists. Their fresh, uncluttered style is characterized by vibrant colours, definite shapes, and non-scientific perspective. The American primitive artists provided wonderful color images of fashions in Colonial America and the early 19th Century before the development and commercial success of photography.
Naive art has existed throughout history, its origins lying in humankind's first attempts to draw or paint
with colours. It was not until the 1960's, however, despite the impact on twentieth century modernism of
the work of 19th century French naive painter Henri Rousseau, that naive art began to be accepted by
major cultural institution around the world. Since that time, it has flourished on an unprecedented scale
and has been the subject of numerous exhibitions and publications in Europe and North America.
Primitive art was looked down on for many years. Today in art circles, the word "naïve" is no longer a derogatory term but means simplistic, child-like
and often untutored, autobiographical and story-telling. The world-wide upsurge of interest came about in the late 1890s with the work of Paul Gauguin and Henri Rousseau. Bright colour, pattern and storytelling play a large part in naïve art, which is also often generally
characterised by unreal perspective. Naive artists
Naifs are usually (though not always) untutored. They often ork slowly and intuitively to present the subject with absolute fidelity and exact detail, depicting an unadulterated version of an orderly world in miniature.
White perspective is lacking, the often acurate, detailed rendendering of clothes and background provide a treasure trove of information to assess contemporary fashion. This is particularly important in assessing fashions before the late 19th century when ready-made fashions appeared. Earlier most fashions were individually sewn. Thus the the clothes worn by boys were often sewn by their mothers are individual seamstresses employed by their mothers. There were fashion magazines and illustrations in those magazines provide idealized images. But it is the primitive artists that provide accurate dtailed images of outfits worn by actual boys.
Ihe naive artist has no academic background. To a certain extent he also works without formal
technical qualifications and with a remarkable indifference to perspective. Naive artists come from
every conceivable socio-economic background and have the most widely differing occupations.
Uninfluenced by art traditions, naive artists come to grips with their personal experiences and paint pictures mirroring their memories, desires and dreams. The themes they choose are frequently related to their childhood, the place they were born in, the surroundings they grew up in, their workaday routine and festive occasions, but also encompass political, historical and social problems, not to mention fantasy utopian worlds. Naive artists are thus genuine personalities, distinguished by an original and unmistakable stylistic independence. They also have a relatively unabashed approach to art's formal demands, often delineating the significant detail with the most meticulous precision. Together with a deeply felt seriousness of approach - are the main characteristics of naive art.
American primitive artists generally had no academic training at all. Some traveled the back roads of rural America and sometimes painted a portrait for room and board. Others had studios in the still small cities in America duting the late 18th and early 19th century. Often the artist is not known, especially many of the works done by itenerate artists. Many other American primitive artists are known. While their work is often not technically correct with distorted perspectives, unrealistic anatomy, and unsophisticated use of light and shading. Even with these and other technical defincies, the American primitives provide many wonderful views of the clthes worn by children. Theese paintings provide detailed images of the designs and colors worn by children of all ages.
HBC has noted particularly interesting portraits by the following American primitives showing childrens' fashions during the late 18th and early 19th century.
This American primitive artist painted many New England portraits, providing valuable information on individual fashion in a period in which photography
was just beginning to provide images.
John Brewster was an naive American artist. He was born in Hampton, Connecticut. He was a deaf-mute who was able to work with some success as an itinerant portraitist. He was especially noted for children's portraits. He was active in coatal areas of New England. One 1804 portrait shows a todler boy in an Empire dress.
American primitive artist Joshua Johnson was born about 1763. He was active as an artist from 1796 through 1824. One of his best known work showing boys' clothes was of the the Westwood Children which he painted in 1807.
HBC has virtually no information on this primative (naive) artist. We believe that he was American. We have one portrait done in 1853. It is of interest because it shows a boy wearing a tunic in what appears to be an early sailor style. This is one of the earliest American images that HBC has which shows that the sailor style that began in Britain had spread to America.
American prinitive (naive) artist Noah North painted many portraits, including families and children. Although he did not master perspective well, his detailed paintings provide a good record of early 19th century fashions before photography was developed and fully developed. As with many primitive artists, there is little information available. His strongest affiliation was with New York. He often included animals in his portraits.
This American primitive painter was born in was born in Bath, Maine in 1806. He advertised his painting skills in the Maine
Inquirer in 1827 and 1828. Prior prepared his own canvases, ground his own paints, and with the help of his sons made some of his own frames. The artist
produced some landscapes, but because of public demand, he was primarily a portrait painter. Prior's work is startling in the stlistic variations. His portraits range
from near academic compositions to very primative naive works. The many portraits provide a very useful view of children's clorhes in the early 19th centuty.
This American primitive artist painted many New England portraits, providing valuable information on individual fashion in a period in which photography
was just beginning to provide images.
This female American primitive artist painted into the mid-19th century. A painting of two brothers in rural America is a wonderful depection of children's fashions. There is often a wonderful depiction of the Lincoln children, not the president's children.
Many fascinating American primitives exist providing a wealth of information about children's fashions. While the artist is not known, in some cases the children depicted and the approximate date of the paintings are known.
A HBC readers tells us that at the Art Institute of Chicago there is a large family portrait entiteld "Mrs. Noah Smith and Family", dating from 1798; the artist is unknown, but the portrait is known to be of an American family. Among the Smith children are two boys, aged something like 7 and 10, in clothes of a type I don't believe I've seen on your site. They wear nearly identical suits, save that one is green and the other is red.
Each suit consists of a coat with a fancy white ruffled collar, rather low-cut, not unlike a modern sports coat in proportions; and a pair of pants of the same material, rather plain. Both boys wear white stockings and low black slipper-like shoes.
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