As we approach the bicentennial, in 2017, of the birth of Henry David Thoreau, there is considerable debate and confusion as to what he may, or may not have, contributed to American life and culture. Almost every American has heard of Thoreau, but only a few are aware that he was deeply engaged with most of the important issues of his day, from slavery to "Manifest Destiny" and the rights of th…
This first full-length account of the Darby School of Art overturns Philadelphia's long-held unwarranted reputation and demonstrates that Philadelphia was a hub of avant-garde painting in the early twentieth century. This first full-length account of the Darby School of Art overturns Philadelphia's long-held unwarranted reputation as artistically stodgy—unwilling and unable to embrace Impress…