The Bone Player
Not on view
Five years before the Civil War, Mount received a commission from the French publisher Goupil and Company to paint African American musicians that would be lithographed for European print buyers. This hand-colored image reproduces a life-size painting now at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and shows a well-dressed figure playing a rythmic instrument associated with minstrel shows. The musician's face and dress convey individuality, while the ivory or bone strips he holds associates him a type exotically appealing to Europeans. This version of the print was published in New York, indicating a market on both sides of the Atlantic.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.