Francis V. O'Connor publishes 'The Mural in America' online after 30 years of preparation.
After three decades of research, Jackson Pollock expert Francis Valentine O'Connor has unveiled 'The Mural in America,' a detailed online history of American muralism, now available for free. This extensive resource spans from prehistoric Native American rock art to modern pieces, divided into eight sections comprising 36 chapters and featuring over 300 illustrations. It encompasses Colonial parlor murals, those in the U.S. Capitol, works from the Gilded Age, New Deal initiatives, and public murals created since 1965. Although it contains valuable original research, the self-published project suffers from editorial issues, such as narrative inconsistencies and factual inaccuracies. O'Connor offers critiques of Pollock while commending Benton and Mexican muralists. The digital nature permits future corrections.
Key facts
- Francis Valentine O'Connor published 'The Mural in America' as a website after 30 years of preparation
- The digital book covers American mural history from prehistoric Native American rock art to contemporary works
- Content is organized into 8 parts, 36 chapters, and 207 sections with over 300 illustrations
- O'Connor claims this is the first comprehensive history of American mural painting
- The work suffers from numerous editorial errors including spelling mistakes and factual inaccuracies
- Pollock is criticized as a failed muralist while Thomas Hart Benton and Mexican muralists receive praise
- The self-published website lacks professional editing and contains repeated passages
- Digital format allows for potential correction of identified errata through search functionality
Entities
Artists
- Francis Valentine O'Connor
- Jackson Pollock
- Sol LeWitt
- Richard Haas
- Ernest Hüpeden
- Maxfield Parrish
- Thomas Hart Benton
- Thomas Eakins
- Winslow Homer
- Albert Pinkham Ryder
- Kenyon Cox
- Edwin Blashfield
- Giotto
- Michelangelo
- Leonardo
- Rubens
- Tiepolo
- Delacroix
- Lawrence Alma-Tadema
- Frederick Leighton
- Marc Chagall
- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Lowery Sims
- Bengelsdorf
- Maurice Sterne
- Edgar J. Kaufmann, Sr.
- Giorgio Cavallon
- Rackstraw Downes
- Kenneth Noland
- Thorstein Veblen
- Upton Sinclair
- Ben Shahn
- John L. Lewis
Institutions
- U.S. Capitol
- St. Regis Hotel
- WPA
Locations
- America
- Wisconsin
- Manhattan
- Kentucky