A Blackfish Nibble!: Hush! I Feel Him! Golly! You Got Him!
The late nineteenth-century Darktown prints by Currier & Ives depict racist stereotypes that are offensive and disturbing. The Metropolitan Museum of Art preserves such works to shed light on their historical context and to enable the study and evaluation of racism.
This two-part fishing scene showing a bit of mischief resulting in "catching" a bottle instead of a fish. Left image: two older Black men (African Americans) converse in a rowboat (one, seated on a chair, faces the other, seated at the boat's stern, who holds a newspaper); they do not notice the boy leaning over the boat's side as he attaches one of the fishing lines to a red bottle. Right image: the boy is seated and seemingly engrossed with his own fishing rod and line, while the man at center stands up shocked (thereby toppling his chair) as he discovers that his fishing line "caught" a red bottle instead of a big fish; his companion roars with laughter and raises his arms in amusement.
Nathaniel Currier, whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life and its history. People eagerly acquired such lithographs featuring picturesque scenery, rural and city views, ships, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his younger brother Charles in the business. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law) was made a business partner; subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued until 1907.
This two-part fishing scene showing a bit of mischief resulting in "catching" a bottle instead of a fish. Left image: two older Black men (African Americans) converse in a rowboat (one, seated on a chair, faces the other, seated at the boat's stern, who holds a newspaper); they do not notice the boy leaning over the boat's side as he attaches one of the fishing lines to a red bottle. Right image: the boy is seated and seemingly engrossed with his own fishing rod and line, while the man at center stands up shocked (thereby toppling his chair) as he discovers that his fishing line "caught" a red bottle instead of a big fish; his companion roars with laughter and raises his arms in amusement.
Nathaniel Currier, whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life and its history. People eagerly acquired such lithographs featuring picturesque scenery, rural and city views, ships, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his younger brother Charles in the business. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law) was made a business partner; subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued until 1907.
Artwork Details
- Title: A Blackfish Nibble!: Hush! I Feel Him! Golly! You Got Him!
- Series/Portfolio: "Darktown Series"
- Publisher: Currier & Ives (American, active New York, 1857–1907)
- Date: 1880
- Medium: Hand-colored lithograph
- Dimensions: Image: 8 1/2 × 15 3/8 in. (21.6 × 39.1 cm)
Image and text: 9 3/8 × 15 3/8 in. (23.8 × 39.1 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/2 × 17 7/8 in. (34.3 × 45.4 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of A. S. Colgate, 1952
- Object Number: 52.632.74
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Currier & Ives
1884
Currier & Ives
1859
Currier & Ives
1857–71
Currier & Ives
1857–71
Currier & Ives
1868–78
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.