Against the Sky

Description

Robert Lewis Reid, 1911

Idealized images of young women, like this one created by American Impressionist painter Robert Reid (1863-1929), were taken as optimistic representations of America. The confident female figure in Reid’s red, white, and blue painting is seen from below, as if on a pedestal. In the early 20th century, the ‘American Girl,’ portrayed as tall, statuesque, healthy, and physically active, was a symbol of the vibrant young nation.