Images of Masculinity in U.S. Conservative Politics

Abstract

The following thesis is a reflection on the presentation of masculinity in political portraiture and its connection to political power in the United States. This essay aims to connect the earliest forms of gender segregated representational artwork to the presidency of Donald Trump with an emphasis on social psychological theories. I will explore the role of masculinity in monarchical portraiture as it evolved in Europe with a focus on England as the predecessor of the United States. I will then explore the mythology of the American Frontier and the artists who invented the common image of the cowboy which I argue is the quintessential model of American masculinity. Though the frontier myth was generally adopted by more progressive candidates in early American history, by the time Ronald Reagan was running for president in 1980 it had shifted sharply to the political Right where it has remained ever since. Finally, I’ll conclude by discussing the ways in which Donald Trump’s unique brand of masculine bravado has so effectively captured the hearts and minds of his base of aggrieved White men in the wake of progressive gains made under the Obama administration.