Darktown Society -- On Their Feed
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 print caricatures a Black (African American) couple at a party. At left, a bearded man, dressed elegantly in a black suit, bows low as he presents a roast chicken on a plate and a glass of wine (or champagne) to a seated woman. The woman, who is smiling as she reaches for the plate, is dressed in an evening gown and long white gloves. Her hair is adorned with a pink rose; she holds a oversized fan with her right hand. On the floor beside her chair, there is a stack of plates and three other discarded plates, along with seven empty wine (or champagne) glasses -- evidence that already much has been consumed. A potted palm is at the right. In the left background, beyond the partition, are other party guests. The title is imprinted in the bottom margin.
Nathaniel Currier, whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of 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 print caricatures a Black (African American) couple at a party. At left, a bearded man, dressed elegantly in a black suit, bows low as he presents a roast chicken on a plate and a glass of wine (or champagne) to a seated woman. The woman, who is smiling as she reaches for the plate, is dressed in an evening gown and long white gloves. Her hair is adorned with a pink rose; she holds a oversized fan with her right hand. On the floor beside her chair, there is a stack of plates and three other discarded plates, along with seven empty wine (or champagne) glasses -- evidence that already much has been consumed. A potted palm is at the right. In the left background, beyond the partition, are other party guests. The title is imprinted in the bottom margin.
Nathaniel Currier, whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of 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: Darktown Society -- On Their Feed
- Publisher: Currier & Ives (American, active New York, 1857–1907)
- Date: 1890
- Medium: Hand-colored lithograph, with touches of gum arabic
- Dimensions: Image: 8 3/4 in. × 13 in. (22.2 × 33 cm)
Image and text: 9 1/4 in. × 13 in. (23.5 × 33 cm)
Sheet: 13 3/8 × 16 3/8 in. (34 × 41.6 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of A. S. Colgate, 1952
- Object Number: 52.632.104
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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