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 image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.