LECTURES & BOOK SIGNING Sunday, November 17 | 2:00 pm
Christopher Malone , Curator, Historic Trappe and Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia A Landscape of Peace, Prosperity, and Despair: Charles C. Hofmann’s Paintings Along the Schuylkill River Christopher Malone will step between the brush strokes to reveal the troubled but vibrant world of German immigrant, almshouse inmate, and itinerant painter Charles C. Hofmann. The changing landscapes in Hofmann’s almshouse paintings parallel his transient life along the Schuylkill River. From town
to town, new architectural styles and industries appeared, showcasing the progress of American life after the Civil War. Hofmann’s paintings were filled with genteel people, farmers, and hardy workers, but his paintings often hid the sick and poverty-stricken individuals who inhabited the almshouses of southeastern Pennsylvania. His contributions to American folk art are important, and his works document Pennsylvania sites and landscapes that no longer exist.
Trevor Brandt , Ph.D. Candidate in Art History, University of Chicago, and Managing Editor, Americana Insights Importing Style: The Decoupage Fraktur of Friedrich Krebs Fraktur, the iconic German American “fractured” folk art, has historically been lauded as an emblematic regional style in North America. This talk highlights instead the global implications of the artist Friedrich Krebs. Krebs, a former Hessian soldier and the most prolific of all known fraktur artists, embellished many of his fraktur with elaborate
brocade sheets imported from Germany. The effect was an intricate, decoupage-like fraktur that linked the German American home with international trade and global styles, challenging traditional interpretations of fraktur as a singularly regional American tradition.
Americana Insights presents the latest research and discoveries on traditional American folk art and material culture. Today’s speakers are featured in the second annual edition, in addition to the following: Paul S. D’Ambrosio, Tobin Fraley, Emelie Gevalt, Richard Miller, Matthew E. Monk, Amelia Peck, Christian Roden, Cynthia V. A. Schaffner, Eileen M. Smiles, Jennifer M. Swope. Edited by Lisa Minardi. October 2024. Book signing to follow lecture.
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