What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

Everyone is walking together in a group, seemingly equal, but there is inequity with the clothings. The two black children don’t have shoes on (walking on dirt) even though they are dressed the same as the white boy. The white women have hats on while the black Women habe head wraps. Very interesting.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

Oil on canvas A lot of attention to detail: shadow, depth, light. Specifically clothing detail. The white people have clothing much smoother, and their stance is very authoritative.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

They put it in the American room. It’s placed between paintings of George Washington and the native Americans, showing the dynamic between all races in America – very complicated.

Group Members