How Did Civil War Influence American Art

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In the era after the Civil War, it became common practice for American artists to travel to Europe for new opportunities in the world of art. American artists were flocking to cities like Munich and Paris, which was the dominant center of the European art world in the 1880’s. These European cities had many things to offer that America could not, such as different teachings and exotic subjects that weren’t available to American artists at home. Some American artists chose to stay in Europe for the remainder of their lives while others traveled between Europe and America. European influence on American artists became evident in the evolving style of American art in the decades that followed the Civil War. Impressionistic techniques and brilliantly colored paintings began appearing in American studios at this time. Artists such as Childe Hassam, William Merritt Chase and John Twachtman spent their time traveling between America and Europe, which can be seen in their art as well as their influence on the fresh style American art.
Most American artists of the time period following the Civil War started their careers in America before making the journey to Europe to either finish their schooling or begin a new phase of their career. Childe Hassam had his start in the New England state of Massachusetts
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Twachtman’s paintings began to be described as a retreat for his viewers due to their idyllic qualities. This popular review can be contrasted with the way that European impressionism was received, being called violent and haphazard in its nature. Critics even called Twachtman’s work “impressionism minus the