This picture of Oregon City by John
Mix Stanley was painted around 1850 when the town was fairly established having
been founded in 1845. It had around 300 inhabitants and 100 houses, two
churches and its own newspaper. It was one of the more prominent and successful
frontier towns with a thriving fishing and lumber industry. However it had
displaced the Native American tribes and also severely changed the landscape of
the area.
The image
itself depicts an idyllic town bathed in sunshine it shows the houses,
churches, and mills all set out along the main street adjacent to the Willamette
River surrounded by hills and trees. It is an image that would appeal to an American
from the east who believed the west to be the land of plenty. In the foreground
we have two Indians with their backs turned toward the village one leaning
against his gun with an almost resigned posture. The other is sitting down like
she has given up trying to fight it. They are sat high above the town near some
felled trees which shows that their landscape is being changed for the worse. Also
they seem to be in the shadows or darkness, whereas the village itself is in
the light showing that they are being pushed out. Without the presence of the
two Indians the image would have a total different feel and meaning to it.
The
presence of the Willamette Indians means that this image depicts the ‘Manifest Destiny’ because it shows
them resigned to their fate. Like they can do nothing to stop the habitation of
their land, like it is already written. The fact that they are in the
foreground may suggest that the artist, who was well known for painting
Willamette Indians, shouldn’t be forgotten in the image of the West that the East
of America so often sees.
http://www.cartermuseum.org/Inspiring_Visions/Stanley/stanley_art.html
edit AS bigger image http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/John_Mix_Stanley_Oregon_City_on_the_Willamette_River_Amon_Carter_Museum.jpg
Very nice Will
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