On the occasion of the inauguration of Joseph Biden, his wife Jill presented the nation with a piece of art by a very talented artist who has been all but forgotten. And while the piece in question is lovely and certainly symbolic of hope with a rainbow, it is not my favorite. When studying in Europe he spent time in the Scottish Highlands (where my grandmother was born) and something there touched him deeply as seen in his painting.
Landscape with Rainbow ROBERT SHELDON DUNCANSON (1821-1872) was born in New York state, the grandson of a freed Virginia slave on his mother’s side and a white father. He started out as a house painter, but his talent and creative ambition exceeded this work. In 1840, at the age of 19, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohioto begin his art career. Cincinnati was rapidly growing and had a strong arts community, earning the nickname the “Athens of the West.” It was also home to a large free black community and sympathetic white abolitionists.
Robert saw early success as a portrait painter, with works selected for exhibition at the Cincinnati Academy of Fine Arts. However, his family was unable to visit the exhibition due to their race. Undeterred, Robert’s mother, Lucy, stated “I know what they look like. I know that they are there! That’s the important thing.” Robert was inspired by the early Hudson RiverSchoolartist’s portrayal of the American landscape. He studied the works of Thomas Cole and traveled with fellow Cincinnatiartists Worthington Writtredge and William Louis Sonntag.
He received patronage from wealthy abolitionists, allowing him to go on a grand tour of Europe in 1853. Work supported by abolitionists often reflected their cause, such as his Uncle Tom and Little Eva, depicting a scene from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s controversial 1852 anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.With the onset of the American Civil War, Robert exiled himself first in Canada, and then in the United Kingdom. This is where the story of MountOrford, on display at the MinnesotaMarineArt Museum, picks up. The tranquility of this Quebec mountain scene serves in stark contrast to the turmoil of war raging across the United States.
Robert was accepted enthusiastically by the art community of Montrealbefore traveling to the United Kingdom where he was again well received, gaining recognition in the international art scene.
He returned to the United Statesand continued to paint. However, his health deteriorated quickly, likely due to lead poisoning suffered as a result of his years as a house painter, and he died in 1872, only 51 years old. His work was largely forgotten, a symptom of racism prevalent in art history, until the 1960s and 1970s, when advancements made by the civil rights movement began to shed light on the historical and artistic accomplishments of African Americans.
Today, Robert Duncanson’s legacy is as one of the few African American painters to achieve international recognition during this time. We are grateful to Jill Biden for exposing his work to our nation.
(2 bottom paintings- Left- "Loch Long", Middle- "Scottish Landscape")
