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Selected Works of Alison Dana Howard
Presentation
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Building National Identity Through Art
Midwestern Political Science Association (2012)
  • Donna R. Hoffman, University of Northern Iowa
  • Alison D. Howard, Department of Political Science and International Studies, Dominican University of California
Abstract
The abstract principles of a republican form of government would be tested with the ratification of the Constitution. It would be challenging to not only establish a government that was unlike any other in the world, but to also construct for the public a shared identity and national narrative that would encompass the values and ideals of the newly formed Republic. Art is one form of communication that has the capacity to reflect social contexts. Edelman (1995, 6) believed art to be an “essential and fundamental element” in political ideas and action. We examine how the portraits, historical paintings, and landscapes from the early years of the Republic contributed to establishing a national identity that would define American and help cement republican ideals.
Keywords
  • Communication through art,
  • Political Art,
  • American Politics
Disciplines
Publication Date
April 12, 2012
Citation Information
Donna R. Hoffman and Alison D. Howard. "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Building National Identity Through Art" Midwestern Political Science Association (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/alison_howard/16/