National Academy of Design Competition, New York, New York, South Elevation 1861

Peter Bonnett Wight made this watercolor rendering of his design for the National Academy of Design competition in New York. The Academy, founded in 1825, played a pivotal role in shaping American art and taste through its exhibitions and educational programs. Wight's neo-gothic design reflects the mid-19th-century fascination with historical styles, yet it's crucial to see this choice as more than aesthetic. The Gothic Revival was associated with moral and spiritual values, seen as an antidote to the perceived materialism of the industrial age. Wight’s design can be understood as an argument for the Academy as a cultural beacon, standing apart from commercial pressures. To fully understand this image, we need to consider the complex institutional history of the National Academy, and its relationship to other art organizations. Primary sources such as the Academy's records, exhibition catalogs, and artists' writings can reveal the social and political forces at play in the art world of the time.