Weekly Written Assignment #7 - Essay Example

The Oregon Trail (1868), Alfred Bierstadt The America frontier is presumed to be one of the mostvital myths in the American culture. American frontier is basically defined as the American emotional, ethical, and moral values that led to the country’s modern prosperity. The myth is based on the ideas of shredding restraints, a sense of unrestrained opportunities, an idea of unlimited unutilized resources as well as the notion of opportunism. The myth was especially apparent in the late 1800 as it was presumed to be the last frontier.

The art of painting entails a consistent arrangement of textures, color, lines, and shapes to create an aesthetic image. The Oregon Trail painting has created an image that depicts movement of people from an exploited land to less utilized land. The image can be used to analyze the America westward expansion. The essay aims at analyzing how The Oregon Trail (1868) painting visually and artistically depicts the myth of the frontier.The Frontier Myth was the initial perception of the Atlantic coast, carrying a sense of European continent.

As a result, the Oregon Trail painting is visually depicting the movement of Frontier Myth from the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The painting portrays massive movement of the American population to a less populated and uncultivated area. The movement in the painting can be used to explain the steady movement of Americans from Europe as well as consistent emergence of an independent America. The massive migration in the painting can as a result be used to artistically demonstrate a symbol of American pride and patriotism.

Secondly, the painting depicts a very harsh transition from one destiny to another. The painting can be used to visually explain the hardship experienced by American civilization pioneers. As portrayed in the painting, the American frontiersmen were presumed to form a linkage between the civilization pioneers and backwoodsman. Frontiers were the stepping stone from uncivilized society to civilized society in United States of America. As demonstrated by the movements in the painting, the conventional uncivilized society was assumed to be dangerous and dull.

The painting is essential in explaining the American movement from uncivilized society to modern civilized society through a very tough and a challenging process. The painting also visually demonstrates a goddess powers that guided the Americans society in their westward movement. The goddesses offered protection to American pioneers against the dangers that are associated with massive migration. As explained in the American frontier myth, development requires total contribution from all players.

The journey to a prosperous America is presumed to be as a result of comprehensive participation by all players. The same scenario is visually depicted in the painting under study. The paintings show several people trying to assist each other in their commitments towards venturing into new territories. From the above analyses, it is clear that, painting can play a significant role in explaining a state of affairs. The painting under study has as a result turned out to be relevant in explaining the United States of America’s frontier myth as well as the county’s prosperity and independence journey.

The painting is also incredibly effective in linking the civilizations process and the ethical, cultural, and moral values currently held by the people of the United States of America. Scholars should understand the significance of utilizing paintings in their explanation and analyses of modern myths and developments.Work citedDaniel Hoffman. Paul Bunyan: Last of the Frontier Demigods. Lansing: Michigan State University Press. 1999