Young America: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Young America: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum commemorates “Treasures to Go,” a series of eight exhibitions from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which toured the nation through 2002. The Principal Financial Group is a proud partner in presenting these treasures to the American people.

In this book, portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and everyday scenes reveal the ideals and vision that shaped America as it evolved from a collection of British colonies into independent nationhood. Created between the 1760s and the 1870s, these paintings and sculptures reflect life in New England and the mid-Atlantic. John Singleton Copley, Charles Willson Peale, Thomas Birch, Thomas Cole, Jasper Cropsey, Horatio Greenough, and Thomas LeClear are among the featured artists.

Reviews in Brief

“Looking through the eyes of American artists, we witness the beginning of America’s noble experiment and, following through the Civil War, we see it being tested and coming of age.” — Elizabeth Broun, Director, Smithsonian American Art Museum