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Old Plantation

A plantation in South Carolina, painted c. 1800. Artist unknown.


This primitive watercolor in which realism dominates is one of the few examples of southern folk art in this medium. The fusion of African and Southern cultures is captured in this document of plantation life. In the background is a view of the main house with its dependencies. In the foreground are boldly accented and individualized figures. While the dress of the slaves is colonial, the musical instruments, turbans, scarves, and stick ceremony attest to the survival of African custom on American ground. The movement of the three central Negroes is extraordinary in folk art where static poses prevail. The ceremony in progress may be an actual slave wedding, in contrast to usual stylized portrayals of historic and social events.

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