Activity 11

In this essay, the periods and cultures of two artworks, “Untitled” a photograph by David Smith and “Daybreak – A Time to Rest” a painting by Jacob Lawrence, will be discussed, compared and contrasted. A period in art is a long span of time, lasting at least one hundred years, where artists were working in similar techniques and approaches in art. Culture is defined as a particular form or stage of civilization.

“Untitled” is gelatin silver print created between 1932 and 1935 by David Smith. In was created during the Modern Period and was influenced by the American Culture. The modern period consists of 150 years, beginning in 1800 and ending in 1950. This period was “driven by technological progress and characterized by rapid change” of society (505). You can clearly see that Smith took advantage of the technological progression of the camera. Here in this photo, you see how he was able to merge a number of photos together to make one complete piece of art. Smith was born in America; therefore, his artwork was greatly influenced by the things he saw in his everyday American life, specifically in this print, the industrial atmosphere.

“Daybreak – A Time to Rest,” is a tempera on hardboard, painted by Jacob Lawrence in 1967. This painting was also greatly influenced by American culture for Lawrence was also an American artist. In contrast, however, this was painted after the Modern Period. This period is known as the Contemporary period beginning after 1950 and continues into the present. The turning point in this period took place right after World War II and was heavily influenced by the many horrors and hardships of the war (536). This can be seen by the woman located in the center of the painting that’s holding a shotgun in her hand, a symbol closely related to war.

Both artworks were created by American culture and influenced by American events, yet both were created during different time periods, reflecting the different turns that took place in history.