African American Art: 19th Century Antebellum Period

Study Notes

The period leading up to the Civil War was marked by hope and identity formation in White America, while African Americans were still fighting for freedom and equality.
The Antebellum period was characterized by the theme of Manifest Destiny, which sought to justify the expansion of the US and its cultural identity.

African American fine artists emerged during this period, largely due to the abolition of slavery and the growth of free black communities and a middle class.
Many of these artists were mulatto, with access to European education and training, which privileged them over darker-skinned blacks.
Colorism and racism still played a significant role in determining which black artists received opportunities and patronage.

African American slaves worked in pottery mills and shops owned by white planters, producing functional items like jars and pots.
Dave the Potter, a skilled slave potter, created over 50 pots, including the "Great and Noble Jar," which showcased his literacy and poetic skills.
Voodoo jugs, created by slave potters in the Edgefield District, featured human faces and were later renamed "AfroGeorgian" and "AfroCarolinian" by art historian Robert Farris Thompson.

Female slaves dominated textile production in the Antebellum period, creating quilts, patchwork, and appliqué.
These quilts were often used to earn income and purchase freedom, solidifying artistic techniques and patterns that would later become known as folk art.

Harriet Powers, a former slave, created powerful narrative quilts that depicted Christian faith, oral traditions, and autobiography.
Her quilts, such as the "Bible Quilt," used scripture as a metaphor for freedom and redemption.

The American republic demanded American subjects in art, and American artists struggled to prove their cultural significance.
African American artists, like Robert Scott Duncanson, used art to "uplift" the race and challenge misconceptions about race and gender.
Duncanson's landscapes, such as "Blue Hole, Flood Waters, Little Miami River," functioned as national landscapes, humanizing the wilderness and conveying a sense of optimism.

Edmonia Lewis, a sculptor, was the first African American artist to achieve national and international recognition.
Her subject matter focused on African Americans and American Indians, and she struggled financially due to her decision to depict marginalized groups.
Lewis's neoclassical style emphasized heroic virtue, duty, and dignity, and her work "Forever Free" commemorated the Emancipation Proclamation.

Henry Ossawa Tanner, a painter, spent most of his life in France, where he received recognition for his portraits, genre, landscapes, and religious subjects.
His painting "Banjo Lesson" was exhibited in Philadelphia and Paris, showcasing a realistic and romantic image of black life.
Tanner's work, particularly "The Resurrection of Lazarus," earned him international recognition and a medal from the Paris Salon.### Henry O. Tanner
Devoted himself to biblical themes, focusing on miracles, the nativity, crucifixion, and resurrection after achieving success
Only created 2-3 paintings of Black Life, which is important to note due to the lack of representation in his work

Believed Tanner was a disappointment for not developing a school of Negro art
Argued that Tanner's success was not enough, as it did not create a distinctive tradition for future Negro artists
Emphasized the importance of creating a school of Negro art that is local and racially representative

First known African American painter to gain recognition as an artist (1765-1830)
Worked in Baltimore, Maryland, and mostly painted portraits of wealthy local families' children
Only 3 known paintings of Black subjects, including a self-portrait
Identity as a Black artist was discovered in the 2nd half of the 20th century, as he was white-passing

Settled in Boston, Massachusetts, an important abolitionist city, in 1850
Became a successful portrait, landscape, and seascape painter, with support from middle-class black abolitionists
Also worked as a portrait photographer
Created a dignified portrait, "Newspaper Boy", which showcased his painterly technique and captured the moment of industrious urban life of the African American middle class