American Scene

US art movement beginning in the 1920s that sought to depict images of US life. The movement was given greater momentum in the 1930s by the Federal Art Project's highlight on painting the ‘American scene’. Members of the movement included the Social Realists, such as Ben Shahn; proponents of New Realism, such as Andrew Wyeth; and the Regionalists, such as Grant Wood. As a result of the diversity among artists working within the scope of American Scene painting, all, except the Regionalists, were unaware that they were part of a larger movement. Subject matter varied between urban issues, social concerns, and rural life and landscapes; the paintings were only connected by the depiction or interpretation of an American scene.