Painting is one of the most interesting forms of art

It depicts life in vivid colors and speaks so much about oneself, the painter's aspirations, his surroundings, and his nation. It has become a tool not only for personal expression but most importantly, a tool for preserving good memories of history's most significant people and events.

Below are some of the highlights in America's painting history. Let's take a look at how painting developed in America and some of the best American painters who in one way or another marked a lasting imprint in the history of American art.

Early Years

The puritan values of early English settlers in North America were so severe that they shunned all sorts of luxury including artistic expressions such as painting, a flourishing art in Europe especially in England. Beginning to settle in a strange land was very hard for these new settlers so they busied themselves with only the most essential things.

However, there were already some portraits noted during the early years of their settlement. These paintings were done by painters who identified themselves as "limners." They were the earliest known American painters. They were naturally artistic as they only trained themselves by going from one place to another to paint portraits of common folks. Training in an art school was contrary to their strict Puritan way of life.

Growth of American Art

Apparently, early Americans' interest in painting grew bigger that several years later after having established their life in America, American painters began to go to England to study.

Although early American painters were highly influenced by artistic styles already developed in Europe, as years passed by they began to create their own style in painting. In 19th century in particular, notable difference between paintings of American painters and those of their European counterparts began to show up.