Dressing for the Carnival
In this painting Homer evoked the dislocation and endurance of African American culture that is a legacy of slavery—specifically the Jonkonnu festival, rooted in the culture of the British West Indies and celebrated by enslaved people in Virginia and North Carolina. After the Civil War, aspects were incorporated into Independence Day events. The painting’s original title was Sketch—4th of July in Virginia. The theme of freedom was particularly relevant in 1877, when Black Americans saw an end to their brief experience of full civil rights after federal troops withdrew completely from the South.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dressing for the Carnival
- Artist: Winslow Homer (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1836–1910 Prouts Neck, Maine)
- Date: 1877
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 20 x 30in. (50.8 x 76.2cm)
Framed: 31 9/16 × 41 1/2 × 5 7/8 in. (80.1 × 105.4 × 14.9 cm) - Credit Line: Amelia B. Lazarus Fund, 1922
- Object Number: 22.220
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.