The Freedman

John Quincy Adams Ward American
Cast by Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 762

Ward began modeling The Freedman shortly before the Emancipation Proclamation took effect, freeing more than 3.5 million enslaved people in the Confederate states. The broken shackle in the figure’s clenched hand and the one remaining on his left wrist offer succinct commentary on the era’s chief political and moral topic. Although emancipated and gazing ahead, the Black man is represented seated and seminude, reinforcing a transitional status between enslavement and full standing in citizenship and humanity.

#4343. The Freedman

0:00
0:00

    Playlist

  1. 4343. The Freedman
  2. 4032. The Freedman
View Transcript
The Freedman, John Quincy Adams Ward (American, Urbana, Ohio 1830–1910 New York), Bronze, American

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

The Freedman, John Quincy Adams Ward (American, Urbana, Ohio 1830–1910 New York), Bronze, American
The Freedman, John Quincy Adams Ward (American, Urbana, Ohio 1830–1910 New York), Bronze, American
The Freedman, John Quincy Adams Ward (American, Urbana, Ohio 1830–1910 New York), Bronze, American
The Freedman, John Quincy Adams Ward (American, Urbana, Ohio 1830–1910 New York), Bronze, American
The Freedman, John Quincy Adams Ward (American, Urbana, Ohio 1830–1910 New York), Bronze, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.