Folk art or naïve watercolor on paper, circa 1868, measuring approximately 7 x 7 inches, watercolor on paper, in four colors, executed on the verso of a portion of a nineteenth century colored print, the paper is brittle and tanned, and with self-evident condition problems, significant chipping with portions missing (see image), it is also stained. It bears the remains of a signature at the lower right-hand corner of Caleb Brown and the date of 1868.Caleb Brown was likely a formerly enslaved man, and his watercolor is a poignant and evocative expression, in visual form, of Mr. Brown’s thoughts upon his newly won freedom. The image depicts Brown, splitting his own wood, on his own land, his own home, horse and property surrounding him. His two small children stand nearby with the family dog. In short, it depicts Caleb Brown, free man, in pursuit of his own “happiness”, determining his own destiny, and realizing the fruits of his labors. The image was likely tacked to the walls of Brown’s cabin. more >
We specialize in Americana, especially manuscript materials. We offer manuscript letters and archives, diaries, journals, personal and business correspondence from the 17th century through the 20th.
