Andrew Jackson 1835

Curator: Let’s turn our attention now to this arresting portrait of Andrew Jackson, dating back to 1835, crafted by the talented Edward Hicks. Editor: It has a startling folksy aura; it reminds me of sign paintings, with those radiant sunbursts. Jackson’s severe visage is offset by that stylized, almost comical eagle perched atop him. Curator: Hicks painted it well after Jackson’s controversial Indian Removal Act. We need to consider the context of Manifest Destiny and the narratives circulating about Jackson's leadership during a period of immense westward expansion and its tragic consequences. The image certainly serves as a powerful political statement. Editor: Notice how the American flag serves as a dramatic backdrop, almost eclipsing Jackson’s own head? And the texture – the brushstrokes give the impression of motion, even in this static portrait. I’m captivated by the linear elements – the arrows, and those ribbon-like festoons around the eagle. Curator: Exactly, Hicks has certainly used popular symbolism to his advantage. It also strikes me that displaying the general next to those symbols was an explicit claim that Old Hickory’s brand of politics defined early American identity at this time. The artist, remember, belonged to the same social and cultural class and largely the same communities of the Jacksonian political machine. Editor: It seems we each interpret this piece quite differently. You see politics, I see the painting's visual drama and how skillfully Hicks balanced formal structure with iconic representations. It is worth dwelling on how those choices amplify the symbolic meaning. Curator: Yes, but that very “drama” reinforces specific viewpoints about national destiny! A fascinating artifact of the period, either way. Editor: Indeed. A collision of political intentions rendered through quite striking design.