Rachel
As slavery developed in America, the plantation owners became rich. They expressed their wealth through various outlets, such as the number of slaves they owned, their dress and their house. Justus Engelhardt Kuhn’s portrait entitled Henry Darnall III as a Child epitomizes the elaborate standards held by the aristocratic south. Every aspect of this portrait demonstrates the enormous wealth of the child’s family, right down to the buckles on his shoes. Clad in an orange costume of what appears to be an expensive, embroidered fabric, the subject almost glows with the notion of wealth. Finite details such as the child’s polished silver buttons and crisp lace neckpiece only add to the prominence of his status.
Surprisingly, the child’s black slave is pictured next to him, although he is obviously placed below and behind his master as an assertion of dominance (Pohl). Interestingly, this was the first painting in America to feature a black slave, and Kuhn takes great care to announce that the slave belongs to young Henry. The black slave’s silver collar almost gleams in the portrait, and draws the viewer’s eye right to him; holding the “results of the hunt” (Pohl), the slave looks longingly at his master, full of devotion.
Also peculiar, Kuhn creates a background of finely manicured hedges. Gardens with this magnitude of craftsmanship did not exist in Maryland during the 1700s; it can be assumed that Kuhn painted these formal gardens as a reference to English nobility, a suggestion that the southern aristocracy attempted to match English society.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Image Cited
"Darnall III, Henry." Maryland Historical Society. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.mdhs.org/digitalimage/darnall-iii-henry-1702-ca1787>.
As slavery developed in America, the plantation owners became rich. They expressed their wealth through various outlets, such as the number of slaves they owned, their dress and their house. Justus Engelhardt Kuhn’s portrait entitled Henry Darnall III as a Child epitomizes the elaborate standards held by the aristocratic south. Every aspect of this portrait demonstrates the enormous wealth of the child’s family, right down to the buckles on his shoes. Clad in an orange costume of what appears to be an expensive, embroidered fabric, the subject almost glows with the notion of wealth. Finite details such as the child’s polished silver buttons and crisp lace neckpiece only add to the prominence of his status.
Surprisingly, the child’s black slave is pictured next to him, although he is obviously placed below and behind his master as an assertion of dominance (Pohl). Interestingly, this was the first painting in America to feature a black slave, and Kuhn takes great care to announce that the slave belongs to young Henry. The black slave’s silver collar almost gleams in the portrait, and draws the viewer’s eye right to him; holding the “results of the hunt” (Pohl), the slave looks longingly at his master, full of devotion.
Also peculiar, Kuhn creates a background of finely manicured hedges. Gardens with this magnitude of craftsmanship did not exist in Maryland during the 1700s; it can be assumed that Kuhn painted these formal gardens as a reference to English nobility, a suggestion that the southern aristocracy attempted to match English society.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Image Cited
"Darnall III, Henry." Maryland Historical Society. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.mdhs.org/digitalimage/darnall-iii-henry-1702-ca1787>.