African American Musicians

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

Though many Massachusetts residents were anti-slavery, most were not pro-equality.  This painting depicts several anti-equality stereotypes that were common at the time it was painted in 1838.  The figures are dressed in outdated clothing styles, referencing a trope that Black people were incapable of sophistication.  The artist based the two figures in red off of a 1793 print which mocked Governor John Hancock for hosting an “Equality Ball.”  The central figure is Long Tail Blue, the main character in a racist 1827 minstrel song of the same name.

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Details

Item typePainting
CreatorUnknown
Date1838
PlaceNew England
TopicAfrican American, Black Life
Art, Music, Literature, Crafts
EraNational Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860
MaterialCloth
Process/FormatPainting; Oil
Dimension detailsHeight: 22.12 in Width: 17.12 in
Catalog #2002.45.01
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Unknown. African American Musicians. Painting. 1838. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/2002-45-01/. Accessed on December 6, 2024.

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