Title
A Bit of War History: The Contraband
Date
1865
Description
This painting by Thomas Waterman Wood depicts an African American man fresh from the fields of bondage. The man doffs his hat in a customary act of deference, yet his face is full of hope and dignity. He smiles at the viewer and his eyes sparkle. His face is bathed in light. He has come into Union lines and entered the local Provost Marshall's office, where a recruiting poster is partially visible in the background, proclaiming "Volunteers Wanted." The man's clothes are well-worn, and the dirt on his shoes shows he has traveled some distance to get to his destination - or, perhaps, has just left the fields where he labored. His pocket is full to overflowing of what looks like tobacco leaves - and a stub of a still-smoking cigar is at his feet. He still holds a small bindle on a stick, tied in a multicolor fabric. To the right leaning against the chair is a musket, cartridge box, and accessories. The leather on these objects is bright and new, unworn and the metal on the musket gleams. A newspaper sits in the chair. In the background to the left is a large American flag and a military drum. In the left foreground is the corner of a tent.
Analysis: The details of this painting can be read in numerous ways. At first, the man's stance and the way he lifts his hat might convey a notion of deference, instilled in him through decades of enslavement. Yet it can just as easily be read as demonstrating the hard labor he has endured, with his slightly stooped posture. His removal of his hat indicates his intent to cast off his identity as a bondsman, and instead of deference, is an act of liberty, defiance, and self-determination.
The small bundle that he carries with him shows what few possessions he could have in a life of bondage, but also demonstrates he has deliberately run away, claiming his own freedom. The condition of his clothing, especially his trousers and shoes, show both the hard labor he has been subjected to, as well as the long and perilous journey he must have made to arrive at this moment.
The large quantity of tobacco in his pocket harkens back to the first enslaved Africans who arrived in the United States in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, who worked the tobacco fields. And although it is not clearly defined - might there be 13 leaves of tobacco spilling out of his pocket, representing the original thirteen colonies?
The multi-colored fabric that wraps his bindle is a plaid pattern - and is in tones of red, white and blue, though faded. Might the pattern on the fabric also indicate the "stripes" that so many enslaved bore on their bodies from brutal whippings? Slavery was woven through every bit of the American story, north, south, east, and west.
The musket and accoutrements beg the question, at this moment, whether this man will become a soldier in the United States Army. Until the final Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, there was no authorization for the U.S. Army to accept Black men as soldiers - although they could be hired as paid laborers, such as teamsters and cooks. What will be this man's destiny?
The American flag and drum in the background, likewise, can be interpreted in several ways. For much of the early days of Civil War, the North chose not to view the war as a war to end slavery. And indeed, even the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the United States - but rather, in Confederate-held territory. At the time this image was painted in 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which ended slavery throughout the United States, was still making its way through the ratification process. Thus, the image of the flag tucked away in a closet behind this man can simultaneously represent both the ways in which the United States denied him his rights and freedom - but also held the promise of a way to secure his freedom, both militarily through his service, and legally, through legislation.
In the Milliken's Bend story: "Contrabands" - or self-emancipating slaves - streamed in to Union lines in northeast Louisiana during the spring and summer of 1863. Many of them enlisted in the army, and some fought at Milliken's Bend.
This image centers the dignity and humanity of the freedmen, in a time when such qualities were too often mocked or outright denied. It dramatically portrays the hardships these men left behind, and the hopes and expectations they brought for their future.
Analysis: The details of this painting can be read in numerous ways. At first, the man's stance and the way he lifts his hat might convey a notion of deference, instilled in him through decades of enslavement. Yet it can just as easily be read as demonstrating the hard labor he has endured, with his slightly stooped posture. His removal of his hat indicates his intent to cast off his identity as a bondsman, and instead of deference, is an act of liberty, defiance, and self-determination.
The small bundle that he carries with him shows what few possessions he could have in a life of bondage, but also demonstrates he has deliberately run away, claiming his own freedom. The condition of his clothing, especially his trousers and shoes, show both the hard labor he has been subjected to, as well as the long and perilous journey he must have made to arrive at this moment.
The large quantity of tobacco in his pocket harkens back to the first enslaved Africans who arrived in the United States in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, who worked the tobacco fields. And although it is not clearly defined - might there be 13 leaves of tobacco spilling out of his pocket, representing the original thirteen colonies?
The multi-colored fabric that wraps his bindle is a plaid pattern - and is in tones of red, white and blue, though faded. Might the pattern on the fabric also indicate the "stripes" that so many enslaved bore on their bodies from brutal whippings? Slavery was woven through every bit of the American story, north, south, east, and west.
The musket and accoutrements beg the question, at this moment, whether this man will become a soldier in the United States Army. Until the final Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, there was no authorization for the U.S. Army to accept Black men as soldiers - although they could be hired as paid laborers, such as teamsters and cooks. What will be this man's destiny?
The American flag and drum in the background, likewise, can be interpreted in several ways. For much of the early days of Civil War, the North chose not to view the war as a war to end slavery. And indeed, even the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the United States - but rather, in Confederate-held territory. At the time this image was painted in 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which ended slavery throughout the United States, was still making its way through the ratification process. Thus, the image of the flag tucked away in a closet behind this man can simultaneously represent both the ways in which the United States denied him his rights and freedom - but also held the promise of a way to secure his freedom, both militarily through his service, and legally, through legislation.
In the Milliken's Bend story: "Contrabands" - or self-emancipating slaves - streamed in to Union lines in northeast Louisiana during the spring and summer of 1863. Many of them enlisted in the army, and some fought at Milliken's Bend.
This image centers the dignity and humanity of the freedmen, in a time when such qualities were too often mocked or outright denied. It dramatically portrays the hardships these men left behind, and the hopes and expectations they brought for their future.
Creator
Wood, Thomas Waterman
Source
Link to The Met website: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/13345
Contributor
Object number 84.12a, part of a triptych. Oil on canvas. The Met, Fifth Avenue (Metropolitan Museum of Art), New York, New York.
Rights
In public domain according to The Met's website.
Relation
Part one of a triptych (three-part painting).
Type
Image
Identifier
TWWood-Contraband.jpg
Coverage
1860-1865
Original Format
Painting
Physical Dimensions
28 1/4 in. x 20 1/4 in.