American Visions Vol. 4 - The Gilded Age

When one starts to really look at gilded objects one begets either the feeling that they aren't near as valuable as the real stuff, or, when the gilt is already peeling off, that they have value in the sense that they reminds us of something important enough from the past. This fourth episode of Robert Hughes's American Visions cleary meets the gilded standard. The sequence in which the adoration of General Lee happens is really sickening to me, especially when Grant isn't even properly mentioned. Of course, work on Grant's statue in front of The Capitol was only started in the last century instead of the one before. However, Hughes also presents the most delicious piece of American art from that time period with my own personal favourite American historian to boot too: Brooklyn Bridge with David Mccullough [media=https://youtu.be/UOiXUiEkYxQ]