The Artist in His Museum
Lifts the curtain and you see the backdrop almost showing what he has discovered and experienced over the years.
Inspecting his clothing, very old but representing a sense of wisdom and time put into it.
This is an image of a very notorious man known as Charles Wilson Peale. The painting itself was made in 1822 and is a self portrait. Reasoning to say why it was made, it was a way for him to reflect on his life and how far he came. You can see when he lifts the red curtain and the backdrop with all the stuff he's collected and his experiences over his life. You can read his face and his overall character within the painting with determination. If to interview Charles Wilson Peale on what it means to be American, I believe he would say to simply be the absolute best you can be. To explore, to gather knowledge, hold things invaluable and to strive for your goals.
While I do agree in terms of Charles Wilson Peale's case, being altruistic can really come a long way. in today's society many of us focus too much on ourselves while others are falling apart. I feel like eventually everything is going to backfire on everyone and eventually, our society, heck even the world is going to collapse. Dogs are a great example when it comes to stating altruism. A lot of the times, dogs will adopt not just other dogs, but also cats, squirrels, ducks I mean the list goes on. Later on I believe altruism will gift mutual benefits for everyone and thus creating a sustainable community.