The earliest interracial portrait in the history of American portraiture
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- This double portrait of children, which recently came to light in a New York collection, appears unprecedented in the history of formal American portraiture. As an interracial portrait from ante-bellum America, it is an extraordinary rarity; added to this is the palpable sense of attachment between the subjects, imparted by composition, gesture and symbol.
Find this work at Philip Mould & Company's booth at Frieze Masters 2023 (F7)
American School
Portrait of Two Girls, c. 1825-30
Oil on canvas
Find out more about this work: philipmould.co...
Filmed by Mike Hopkins (@mikehopkinsfilm) 
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Thank you. I've never seen this painting, or even a hint of it. Significant and forthright yet peaceful.
As always, Mr. Mould raises the most thoughtful, insightful questions into the intention and meaning behind a painting, which sparks the viewer to imagine the lives of those portrayed.
This is just awesome! What a fantastic work to consider alongside Dido Belle and Lady Elizabeth, that epic double portrait by David Martin 👍
What a nice issue & painting! Always fab to see this program!
Very significant and very beautiful! Truly special.
They also have the same jewelry. First time I've seen this one. Thanks as always for sharing.
stunning!
What a fabulous and significant painting! Do we know what state it came from?
Many in the North had always been against slavery (since 1600s) because they believed it was against God's ways. Particularly those called "The Pilgrims," of Plymouth, MA, who also believed Native Americans should be treated equally to the settlers, because they knew and followed Bible teachings, for example Leviticus 19:34. They even executed white men for killing a native. But you will never hear this taught in the West now. (ref: Governor Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation")
I wish the West were more open to positive messages like that in this painting, and other historic paintings being discovered, rather than emphasizing the segment that did misdeeds.
I know they teach history really poorly in America but you should know that that's not quite correct. The people you call the Pilgrims are better known to the world as Puritans. They're the same ones who banned Christmas and persecuted Catholics in England before they were forced to flee or face capital charges. They were fanatical religious extremists bordering on a cult. The people who you refer to as being against slavery and other genocide were the Quakers, Shakers, and other smaller religious movements that evolved much later than the arrival of the Puritans in Massachusetts.
@@SAOS451316 I'm happy to tell you that the Pilgrims were not Puritans. They should not be lumped together. In fact, one of their fears was that they would be lumped together with those who came after them - just as you are doing.
The Puritans came later. They had a different approach, trying to "purify" the faith of others.
The Pilgrims were a combination of Separatists, who wanted to totally separate from the Church of England, and "Strangers" who were not religious.
The beautiful miracle of this is that both religious and racial tolerance in America began in Plymouth:
The Mayflower Compact was an alliance between the religious and non-religious Pilgrims, and as I mentioned, laws in Plymouth were the same regardless of race.
You can read all this in "Of Plymouth Plantation" by Governor William Bradford.
The first Europeans were instructed to treat the natives well and try to convert them, compared to the horrendous Muslim slave trade etc, it was unfortunately the norm back then
@@stiannobelisto573 Yes. It would be good if it could be understood that those who came to America were very diverse - some kind and hard-working, others out to adventure and exploit. Besides religious settlers, criminals resettled from England, or became Spanish Conquistadors.
Understanding this, especially in the context of world history (perpetual slavery in all races since stone age) would go a long way to bringing peace in the world.
I am wondering if this was created in Creole territory, like Louisiana. It depended on the household, but some did count a half sibling as a whole, and some considered the servants’ kids as equals.
Fantastic painting! Is there any indication of the artist or who the sitters are? It would be interesting to try to narrow down the geographic location in the US of where this was painted
We don't know who the artist or sitters are exactly, but several possible locations have been suggested for where the portrait may have been painted. In style and format, it demonstrates the influence of English painting traditions as exemplified by Northwestern American portraitists of the Federal era.
Matching necklaces too.
Interesting...though I'm slightly puzzled by the hairstyle worn by the girl on the right & she has a slight masculine look . Anyone else pick up on that ? Thanks Mr Mould 😊
@@waterissogoodYou’ve misread. It’s the one on the right, the white child.
I'm loving all this new content. Thanks for sharing :)
First off, love these shorts from your gallery Mr Mould. So illuminating. So, someone else picked up on this also - were these typical hairstyles for girls at this time? I agree with another commentator they both seem rather boyish and with the matchy matchy jewelry, the extended flower bud, and the cinderella reference, I'm wondering what's being communicated here?? Is it possible?
Very similar to the portrait of Dido Belle, I would be surprised if the girl of African decent was free.
Perhaps she escaped to the North?
Were she a slave she would not wearing expensive jewellery that matches the white girl, and certainly not more if it. She’s exquisitely dressed but the biggest giveaway to her being of equal rank is her hand resting on the younger girl’s shoulder. Not all African Americans were slaves, just as not remotely all soldiers died in WW1, black people in the North were free. This is possibly two sisters by the same father.
@@tommoncrieff1154 I am aware that not all African Americans at the time of this painting were slaves, just like I am also aware that not all soldiers in WWI died; I happen to have a degree in US history, focusing on the 19th and early 20th century, especially the Antebellum south. They could very well be related, hence my reference to Dido Belle.
Yes, a lot of symbolismo.
Is this older than the Belizaire painting that was found not too long ago? (I'm not trolling, I can't find the estimated date of Belizaire.) I really liked this video :-)
Yay! It's like Christmas! Ta~
Are we sure they aren't two boys?
Thank you for sharing. I'm not sure if it can be definitively said that this is the earliest interracial American portrait. I understand your reasoning that this portrait is special because it depicts two people on equal footing as opposed to depicting a subordinate as accessory to the primary sitter. But there are earlier portraits of this sort that are ambiguous in how they depict the relationship between the subjects. For example, a painting in the collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, Maryland now entitled "Charles Calvert and Once-known Enslaved Attendant" by John Hesselius dated 1761. It has been suggested that due to the youth of the subjects and parity in their age, there existed some kind of special relationship between them, beyond one of subordination. Perhaps it would be more accurate to qualify your claim along the lines of "the earliest interracial portrait in which there is an unambiguous depiction of mutual affection."
The hairstyle on the white child is very unusual, more boyish.
Makes me wonder if they are "carolines" as they would be called in Victorian England.....?
If they are - wow! That would be a hugely surprising piece of social history.
Anyone who studies history knows life was cheap and children were exploited.
It's fascinating portraiture.
Any idea who they were?
Not a professional but this looks ultra modern like painted in our lifetime....trying to pass this off as 200 year old art?
You could do some more research if you want to.
Interesting website. Impossible to use unless one accepts all cookies.
There are much earlier American portraits than this that depict sitters of different races.
It is the representation of two racially distinct subjects palpably expressing affection in this way that is unprecedented in early formal portraiture.
Describing this portrait as a "first" in the history of American portraiture is what caught my attention, @@philipmouldco4360, "interracial" also gives me some pause. As for affection, I do think that we can "see" that in earlier portraits depicting different races, emotions being subjective of course and open to interpretation.