1840-1850 Art

     During the decade 1840-1850 there were many different types of art like visual arts, music, dance, and other types. There were also many artists at the time like Mathew Brady, John James Audubon, Joel Walker Sweeney, and John Diamond.

        There were many types of music during this decade. The shakers was a type of music that included both hymns and songs. They were involved in the Great Awakening and during 1837 and 1848, they began diversifying greatly. One of the most popular shaker songs was "Simple Gifts," by Joseph Brackett. By the end of the 1840's, shaker meetings became a popular form of entertainment. Another type of music was the Banjo. The   five-stringed banjo is used in many kinds of African American folk music. The banjo became popular in America around the 1840's and 1850's. Joel Walker Sweeney played the banjo in Virginia and was the only black face performer there.

         One of the dancer's during this decade is john Diamond who lived from 1823 to 1857. His dances were a mixture of African American, English, and Irish steps. Diamond entered show business at age 17. Some of his dances were the "five mile out of town dance," and the "Long Island Breakdown". Diamond's movements were mainly lower-body movements and rapid footwork with little movement above the waist.

        During this time some of the visual artists were Mathew Brady and John James Audubon. Mathew Brady was born on 1823 in Warren County, New York. His style of artwork was the daguerrotype. Brady became famous for his pictures of the American Civil War. He won many awards for his dagguerotype pictures. The government refused to buy his photographs of the war because he had pictures that the government didn't want the people to see. Because of this, Brady went into bankruptcy. He later died on 1896 in the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.

      The 1840's art included music, dance, and visual arts. It brought out new types of photographs like the daguerrotype style which was used during the Civil War. The music included the Shakers which spread greatly during this period. This decade brought out new art and artists that greatly influenced America.

Sources:

1840 in art, Wikipedia.org, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1840_in_art

Mathew Brady, Wikipedia.org, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathew_Brady