Solo Analysis Document 10.4 Richard Caton Woodville, War News from Mexico, 1848

SOLO ANALYSIS

Richard Caton Woodville | War News from Mexico, 1848

Richard Caton Woodville was born in Baltimore in 1825 but spent most of his adult life in Europe. Still, he painted mainly American scenes, and his paintings were often turned into inexpensive prints for popular consumption. In this image, he highlights the importance of newspapers in reporting the Mexican-American War. Reports were often read aloud to groups of people eager to hear the latest news.

Document 10.4

image
Richard Caton Woodville, War News from Mexico, 1858. Oil on canvas, 27 × 25 in (68.6 × 63.5 cm). Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. Photography by The Walters Art Museum, Susan Tobin

Interpret the Evidence

  1. What does the name of the hotel—American Hotel—and the diversity of characters portrayed here indicate about Woodville’s understanding of the Mexican-American War?

  2. What does the placement of the lone woman, the two African Americans, and the white men suggest about the investment of different groups of Americans in the ongoing war?

Put It in Context

Why was the news of the Mexican-American War so important to diverse groups of Americans?

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