Description
The Italian-born Nicolino Calyo settled in New York City in the 1830s, where he made a series of images (including this one) of local tradespeople. African Americans played a crucial role in the economies of New York and Brooklyn, typically working as street vendors, chimney sweeps, domestic servants, farmhands, and dockworkers. Prior to 1827, when slavery was abolished in New York State, the black labor force included enslaved and free individuals (a system of gradual emancipation was enacted in 1799). By 1790, 40 percent of households in Kings County owned slaves—the highest percentage in the nation. In 1820, the county had a population of 9,821 whites, 882 enslaved blacks, and 879 free blacks.
In art of this period, African Americans regularly appear as stereotypes, performing manual labor or providing comic relief. Such imagery, consistent with racial prejudices of the day, ignores the myriad contributions and vital community lives of African Americans. The African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church (later Bridge Street Church), established in 1819, was Brooklyn's first black church and served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. By the time of Calyo's painting, Brooklyn's historic independent black community, Weeksville (in Bedford), had also been founded.
Descriptive medium: Watercolor over graphite on off-white, moderately thick, smooth textured wove paper
More details about this record can be found on the collection website
Image Licence
No known copyright restrictions
Image Credit
Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum
Location
New York, New York, USA
Country
USA
Medium
Watercolour
Tags
Category
Travel & Transport
