Art has served as a legacy of past generations since time immemorial, informing future generations about past events. Historians and art researchers have discovered many valuable details and facts about the events and heroes of the past based on the works of art produced centuries ago. However, it is always vital to keep in mind that art combines the artist’s subjective vision and input in the art product with the historical reality it examines. So, works of art – be they a painting or a theatrical play – can hardly be taken for objective historical evidence. Pieces of art often serve other purposes, such as inspiring patriotism, commemorating heroic deeds, or arousing esthetic pleasure in the viewers. Thus, the artist’s vision is always fact-altering in artworks.
A good example of such a healthy mix of history and subjectivity in art is Leutze’s (1851) painting Washington Crossing Delaware. It has many historical accuracies, such as the clothing and armor of U.S. forces of those times. However, it also has many historical flaws, such as the use of the American flag that did not exist at the time of the Delaware crossing, improper depiction of Washington’s age, and the wrong context of the event (the crossing took place at night amid a snowstorm). Besides, the artist is known to draw the Delaware crossing by using a German river as a basis for his imagery instead of the original American river. Thus, the painting indeed serves its aim – a patriotic, inspirational image of the US leader progressing through the struggle for the nation’s independence. Still, it should not be interpreted as a truthful and objective event record.
Another illustrative example of the artist’s subjectivity is a famous musical later screened by Disney+, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (2015) Hamilton. The musical, which was a success, is often praised for many historically accurate details. However, one should not treat all characters and events as precise historical data. Critics pointed out that Miranda distorted the historical roles of Jefferson and Madison while exaggerating Hamilton’s abolitionist motives (McCarthy, 2020). Therefore, art is a unique fusion of objective history and an artist’s unique vision, and it should be judged with discretion to avoid historical confusion.
References
Leutze, E. G. (1851). Washington crossing the Delaware. [oil on canvas]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY.
McCarthy, B. (2020). Fact-checking ‘Hamilton’ the musical.PolitiFact.
Miranda, L. (2015). Hamilton: An American musical. [musical]. The Public Theater.