A vibrant and original perspective on the American Revolution through the stories of the five great artists whose paintings animated the new American republic.The images accompanying the founding of the United States--of honored Founders; dramatic battle scenes; and seminal moments--gave visual shape to Revolutionary events and symbolized an entirely new concept of leadership and government. Since then they have endured as indispensable icons; serving as historical documents and timeless reminders of the nation's unprecedented beginnings. As Paul Staiti reveals in Of Arms and Artists; the lives of the five great American artists of the Revolutionary period--Charles Willson Peale; John Singleton Copley; John Trumbull; Benjamin West; and Gilbert Stuart--were every bit as eventful as those of the Founders with whom they continually interacted; and their works contributed mightily to America's founding spirit. Living in a time of breathtaking change; each in his own way came to grips with the history being made by turning to brushes and canvases; the results often eliciting awe and praise; and sometimes scorn. Ever since the passing of the last eyewitnesses to the Revolution; their imagery has connected Americans to 1776; allowing us to interpret and reinterpret the nation's beginning generation after generation. The collective stories of these five artists open a fresh window on the Revolutionary era; making more human the figures we have long honored as our Founders; and deepening our understanding of the whirlwind out of which the United States emerged.
#367576 in Books 2014-01-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x 5.50 x .50l; .41 #File Name: 1626980659160 pages
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. An internal map to a new future.By Peter J. NagleDr. Raheb writes in practical terms of the role of faith in action in forming an new future for not only Palestine; but the Middle East. His focus is on the internal map each person must develop for her/himself. The way to freedom; equality; and self determination starts inside every person. Real change comes from within; as Jesus said often. And that starts with faith. But it is not only faith; as Dr Raheb points out; but informed faith. One needs to look soberly on the history of the region; as he does in this text; in order to understand that the only "solutions" that will last are those emanating from the region itself. Empires come and go. Their brilliant solutions for those under their domination also come and go. The people of the region will devise their own future; if left to it. But first they must search within themselves for what they truly want the future to look like. Dr. Raheb provides a roadmap to do just that. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a better; more in-depth understanding of the Middle East.10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. An interesting examination of the plight of the PalestiniansBy sarabeeThe author; a Palestininan Prostestant pastor living in Bethlehem; traces the plight of people living in the area through the ages. Oppressed by the empires on whose border they exist; they somehow manage to survive. He identifies today's empire as the United States with Israel as its client state. The book is interesting because it presents a point of view different from one favoring Israel without question.15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. "Buying the field"By Arnie VoigtIn the Epilogue to his book; Faith in the Face of Empire; author Mitri Raheb refers us to Jeremiah 32: Jeremiah is in prison; the city destroyed; the temple burned; and yet Jeremiah is asked to buy his cousin’s field. Raheb writes: “He was able to imagine a future beyond the destruction around him.†And then; “Hope was deciding to invest in the area at a time when no sane person would dare.†Those words describe the author himself. Raheb is a Palestinian pastor who given his gifts and talents easily could have emigrated and found a parish or academic perch elsewhere. But he stayed in his home town of Bethlehem and “bought the fieldâ€: under his guidance programs and institutions of mercy; well-being; and education have been established. Faith in the Face of Empire is a reading of “The Bible Through Palestinian Eyes†which contextualizes the Biblical narrative with a Palestinian face and speaks of how faith creatively resists the machinations of the present day empire; Israeli occupation. One can almost hear the author breathe out his own journey of “faith and embodied creative resistance;†a quality for which he credits his father. “Resistance;†he writes; “is action; not reaction;†and “Faith is nothing less than developing the bold vision of a new reality and mobilizing the needed resources to make it happen.†This book is a solid and literate resource for anyone wishing understanding to join in “buying the field."
