Facing Facts: Realism in American Thought and Culture, 1850-1920
This book is the result of Shi's (president, Furman Univ.) inability to find an interdisciplinary study on the development of American thought and the arts during the 19th century appropriate for use as an undergraduate textbook. The result is a very readable survey of the development of realism in American arts. Using numerous quotes, Shi writes of the rejection of "feminine" romanticism in favor of a more "manly" art reflective of the contemporary world. Thus, art evolved from the "genteel" realism of Henry James and Winslow Homer to the grittier realism of Theodore Dreiser's fiction and Jacob Riis's photographs. The rise of realism is related to the Civil War, the Progressive movement, and artistic movements in Europe. An excellent survey recommended for serious readers.Linda McEwan, Elgin Community Coll., Ill.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.