Painting Historicity: William Dunlap's Engagement with the Circumstances of Time and Place

Through a case study of the paintings and writings William Dunlap, well-known figure in early Republican art discourse United States, this essay argues for re-evaluation art-historical thinking at turn nineteenth century. I assert that both as painter writer, develops an important explanatory model local production his time. Following from strongly contextual notion artistic production, he defines artwork primarily ‘historical document’. On basis Dunlap's original, relativist conception art, proposes reassessment relevance well new perspective on one key texts historiography States. By closely analysing hitherto neglected self-portraits, makes epistemic role painting played development narratives around 1800.