John Gast American Progress Analysis

Space. The final frontier. It is the only place humanity has not completely mastered and discovered, but even now, organizations are getting ready to send people to mars in order to colonize in just the next decade. Not so long ago, the priority of the American government was to colonize and conquer the uncivilized west. During this period of westward expansion, new art forms and literature emerged. One of the most prominent is American Progress by John Gast. American Progress is a detailed painting with many elements. In fact, a large, dominating angel in the middle of the painting is radiating light while holding a telegraph wire and schoolbook. The light extruding from the angel is shining on the conquered land to the east; this shows
Moreover, when I look at the image I feel the desperation of the Native Americans who have to flee from their home in search of safety. On first glance, my eye goes to the angel in the middle of the picture because of the angel’s size on central location. The main elements of the painting are the following: the angel, the running Native Americans, the color scheme, and the men below the angel. These elements combine to form the main meaning of the painting which is American manifest destiny. The running native Americans and dominating Americans from the emotional impact of an entire culture slowly being destroyed. The color scheme contributes by showing the righteousness of America and the primitiveness of the Native Americans. The Native Americans and the bison are placed closer together because both are running away in search of sanctuary. The railroad and telegraph wire are close together to show the collective progress and innovation occurring in the west. The degrees of shading add a strong effect towards the mentality of the painting. The color on the conquered land to the right is light which shows the righteousness of America, whereas the color scheme on the left shows the primitiveness of the Native Americans and their sinister intent. My own knowledge of American history has greatly contributed to my understanding of this image. I have learned the mentality and priorities of the American government during this