TitleThe Birth of Our Flag (or) Origin of the American Flag
Artist
Henry Peters Gray
(American, 1819 - 1877)
Date1874
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsUnframed: 72 × 48 in.
Framed: 77 × 53 × 2 3/8 in.
SignedSigned at lower left: "Henry Peters Gray Firenze 1874".
Credit LineNational Academy of Design, New York, NY, Gift of Mrs. Susan Clark Gray, 1914
Object number508-P
Label TextDuring the course of his career, Gray was active primarily as a portraitist, but also painted ideal, biblical, literary, mythological and fancy pictures. His ideal painting The Birth of Our Flag was inspired by the first stanza of Joseph Rodman Drake’s poem The American Flag (1819). This fervidly patriotic poem was a staple for school readers in the United States in the 1820s and 1830s. An elaborate broadside edition of the poem was issued in 1861 during the course of the Civil War, which testifies to its return to popularity at this time. Gray created his first version of the painting in 1863, and returned and expanded his treatment of the subject while working in Italy in 1874. It is one of several works by the artist that was motivated by the war.The evocation of eagle, flag, and figure of Liberty, or Freedom, as an emblem of America, is a common one in 19th century American art, and it was frequently employed as a motif during the Civil War on silver certificates and Northern war posters. In the painting the massive winged eagle, Liberty’s blowing hair and flag, and the contrapposto of her body, create a sense of tension and turbulence. The beauty and delicate facial expression of Liberty, however, evoke a promise of peace and a freedom from turmoil. In the midst of the desolate and overcast landscape a church spire and a daisy (lower right) appear, symbolizing that God still reigns in the world of man, and that even in the most rough and barren environment nature persists.
Collections
- 19th Century Highlights from the Collection
