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The Old Plantation
What do you see when you look at this watercolor painting from the late eighteenth century? Maybe you first notice its aesthetic qualities—color, line, form, and medium. Or perhaps you view it for historical understanding, looking for meaning in its content.
Art is a powerful teaching and learning tool. In this watercolor from the southern colonies, we see a group of enslaved Africans as they enjoy some leisure time. Notice the two musical instruments being played by the figures at the right. The stringed instrument appears to be a hollowed gourd with strings attached to several pegs. The drum-like instrument might be a gudugudu (similar to those made by the Yoruba people of Africa), made of wood and animal skin. It is played by tapping with tightly twisted strips of leather. The figures may be dancing or participating in a marriage ceremony involving jumping the broom.
Don't forget the background. The elaborate plantation buildings occupied by the white colonists contrast sharply with the slave buildings in the foreground. You get a sense of the physical geography as well. Note the full, colorful landscape and the river.
For a student activity involving this image, see the Teaching Strategies section of this month's newsletter.
Click here to see the entire glossary of terms relating to slaves and free blacks.
This article was written by Martha Berner, retired elementary school teacher, San Diego, CA.
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Historic Triangle
