The First Artist in America: The Life and Times of John Vanderlyn

The First Artist in America is the story of John Vanderlyn, the celebrated artist who portrayed seven American presidents, rose to fame as a 19th-century neoclassical history painter, and died penniless and alone in his hometown of Kingston, New York. As the protégé of Aaron Burr, Vanderlyn was the first American artist to study in France, where he began his pursuit of history painting. His self-portrait was the first painting by an American artist shown in the Paris Salon. Vanderlyn’s Marius Amid the Ruins of Carthage won a gold medal from Napoleon in the Paris Salon of 1808. His 1814 classical nude Ariadne caused a scandal when shown in New York, requiring separate showings for men and women. In 1818 Vanderlyn opened the first American art gallery—the Rotunda—in New York City, exhibiting 360-degree panoramas, his history paintings and portraits of notables such as presidents Madison and Monroe. His 125-foot Panorama of Versailles is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This documentary is by noted filmmaker Tobe Carey. ©2017. Running time is 76 minutes.

Click here to watch the trailer on YouTube.