Depictions of the American South

Inspired by the culture of the Southern United States, here is a curation of artworks that hold this particular geographic location as a source of inspiration. After the Civil War in America, the central role of agriculture and slavery during the Colonial period and Antebellum South era, made society stratified according to land ownership. This landed gentry can be seen in the cultural synopsis of Gone with the Wind starring Vivien Leigh as the Southern Belle. 

Starting in the early 1600s and lasting to the mid-1800s, slavery played a tremendous role in shaping the culture, politics, and economy of the South. This included its agricultural practices, the outbreak of the American Civil War, and ensuing segregation in the United States. Such fundamental race divisions can be seen as influences of the work of many African American artists today. In terms of the religious make-up of this area of America, it is predominantly known to be a stronghold for evangelical Protestantism as denoted by the phrase of the "Bible Belt". Religious themes are therefore extremely well versed in artistic depictions inspired by the American South. Another influence upon such art is the theme of migration of peoples that came to inhabit this region over the centuries. Coming from all over the globe under free will or coercion, in search of a better life and economic prosperity, these settlers founded the melting pot of regional subcultures we find in the South today. 

Explore artworks inspired by the connotations of Southern life and the virtues of simple rural life today on Artsper!