United States

During the Civil War, both free blacks from the North and escaped slaves from the South (known as “contrabands”) served as mule drivers in the Union army quartermaster’s corps, which was responsible for moving supplies. Homer represented four men resting in the sun, awaiting orders to move camp. Their companion pokes his head out from the tent, staring at the viewer, who intrudes on their nap. His penetrating gaze acknowledges our presence and further connects us to the scene.

This painting depicts “boiling day,” when the season’s first harvest of maple tree sap was heated to produce syrup or sugar. Community members have gathered near the hot iron cauldron to talk, play music, dance, and eat. This image would have offered urban viewers a respite from imagery of the Civil War, though one Vermonter noted that maple sugar “is a product of our state, and it is never tinctured with the sweat, and the groans, and the tears, and the blood of the poor slave.”

This painting depicts “boiling day,” when the season’s first harvest of maple tree sap was heated to produce syrup or sugar. Community members have gathered near the hot iron cauldron to talk, play music, dance, and eat. This image would have offered urban viewers a respite from imagery of the Civil War, though one Vermonter noted that maple sugar “is a product of our state, and it is never tinctured with the sweat, and the groans, and the tears, and the blood of the poor slave.”

Although most of the architecture in this scene is American, the two castle-like structures in the background may have been inspired by the artist’s native Germany. Huge’s idealized inventory of life in a New England town epitomizes the values and rewards of American democracy, symbolized by the neoclassical city hall. However, the smoking volcano (probably inspired by Italy’s Mount Vesuvius) that looms over the town serves as a reminder that nature has the ultimate power over civilization.

Although most of the architecture in this scene is American, the two castle-like structures in the background may have been inspired by the artist’s native Germany. Huge’s idealized inventory of life in a New England town epitomizes the values and rewards of American democracy, symbolized by the neoclassical city hall. However, the smoking volcano (probably inspired by Italy’s Mount Vesuvius) that looms over the town serves as a reminder that nature has the ultimate power over civilization.

Although most of the architecture in this scene is American, the two castle-like structures in the background may have been inspired by the artist’s native Germany. Huge’s idealized inventory of life in a New England town epitomizes the values and rewards of American democracy, symbolized by the neoclassical city hall. However, the smoking volcano (probably inspired by Italy’s Mount Vesuvius) that looms over the town serves as a reminder that nature has the ultimate power over civilization.

This depiction of the Central Pacific Railroad’s western terminus in Sacramento emphasizes the mingling of people from different cultural and economic backgrounds. In the foreground, a carriage meets its finely dressed passengers, while at the far right a Chinese laborer carries a heavy load. Sacramento’s status as a growing frontier town is suggested by the presence of a hardware store advertising building supplies.

This depiction of the Central Pacific Railroad’s western terminus in Sacramento emphasizes the mingling of people from different cultural and economic backgrounds. In the foreground, a carriage meets its finely dressed passengers, while at the far right a Chinese laborer carries a heavy load. Sacramento’s status as a growing frontier town is suggested by the presence of a hardware store advertising building supplies.

This painting shows a group of picnickers near Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont. In the mid-19th century, rapid industrialization began to replace the agrarian lifestyle that had historically defined American life. Rural sightseeing, mountain hikes, and pastoral picnics—or images of these activities—provided idealized encounters with nature for city dwellers seeking a respite from the toil and troubles of city life.