Art in Florida: 1564-1945 [Hardcover]

Maybelle Mann (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

This authoritative and wide-ranging book presents for the first-time the history of art in Florida from the first European artist, Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, who arrived in 1564, until the end of the Second World War, when art in Florida exploded into the modern forms and styles.

For many years, few artists came to Florida, a lingering frontier due to the swampy terrain and subtropical climate. Those artists who did come, however, were intrigued by Florida's spectacular sunsets and sunrises, exotic forests hung with moss, and a myriad of unique flora and fauna, all depicted in early Florida paintings. A wide array of these artists and their paintings are presented and written about here for the first time.

The early chapters document the artistic offerings of early explorers and naturalists like Mark Catesby and John James Audubon, as well as the Seminole Indians and those who painted them, including George Catlin and Charles Bird King. St. Augustine, the first permanent settlement, also came to be the first center of art in Florida. After the Civil War, when Northerners began to flock to Florida for health and pleasure, art found a place in the thriving business of travel literature. This drew artist like brothers Edward and Thomas Moran, who began to paint the beauty of Florida. In the 1880s, St. Augustine, through the efforts of Henry Morrison Flagler, again became the center of artistic endeavor, attracting artists like Martin Johnson Heade. At the end of the century many prominent American artists arrived and painted the Florida they found. This included Frederic Remington, George Inness, Hermann Herzog, and Winslow Homer. In the first half of the twentieth century, Florida paintings were created by such notables as John Singer Sargent, Jane Patterson, Martha Walter, Milton Avery, William Glackens, Ernest Lawson, Harold Betts, Frank Weston Benson, Ralston Crawford, and Andrew Wyeth. The final chapter covers government-sponsored art in the 1930's, including murals in public buildings and the Index of American Design.

Collected here are 160 illustrations of Florida art, 100 in color. The illustrated paintings were gathered from public and private collections all over the country, many reproduced here for the first time.

About the Author

Maybelle Mann has written books, catalogs, and articles on many topics in American art history. She has served as a guest curator for a number of traveling exhibitions and has been an art critic and teacher at newspapers and colleges in New York and Florida. She holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization with a specialization in Art History from New York University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Pineapple Press (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561641715
• ISBN-13: 978-1561641710
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,759,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars State of the Art of the Art of the State, January 6, 2000

By 

Gary Monroe (DeLand, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art in Florida: 1564-1945 (Hardcover)

Maybelle Mann's reader-friendly Art in Florida 1564-1945 contextualizes painting through the state's social history which, after all, gave rise to the imagery. Ms. Mann has done a service to those of us who are interested in art and in Florida. Although I am a "native" Floridian and documentary photographer who has done much work throughout the state, I quickly realized that Art in Florida is not a regional book. Everyone, it seems, has some connection to Florida through relatives, a pilgrimage to Disney World, or dreams about tropical breezes and swaying palm trees (especially during winter). Yet with the necessary exception of chapter 7, "Travel Tracts in the Late 1800s," there are no traces of blatent commercialism or kitsch in Ms. Mann's admirably researched book. The focus on regionalism serves as an antidote to the stereotypes of Florida. This is a serious book that is delightful to read. Art in Florida, finely designed and printed, presents wonderful paintings and illuminating text and is clearly a definitive contribution.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Florida's artistic past, March 21, 2000

By 

Palm Beach Society Magazine (Palm Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art in Florida: 1564-1945 (Hardcover)

For the first time Florida's important art history has been captured and documented for the world to enjoy. From the first Europena artist, Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, who arrived in 1564, until the end of the second world war, "Art in Florida" guides the reader through a unique gallery of works never before seen in one place. The book is beautifully bound and ofers 160 illustrations of Florida art, 100 in color. The paintings were gathered from public and private collections all over the country. Mann spent years painstakingly searching through vast amounts of matrial in order to write a history of Florida art. "Art in Florida" is history not only of Florida's arts but also of its people. The spirit captured in this volume remains vibrantly alive in Florida today, to be discovered and enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Florida is more than Disney and early bird specials, March 21, 2000

By 

Palm Beach Society Magazine (Palm Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art in Florida: 1564-1945 (Hardcover)

What a wonderful book. Every state should be so lucky. Later day Florida is so Disney World and early bird specials that it is a joy to be reminded of the rich culture of its long hstory. The writing is so direct and clear. The book really grabs. I love it.