Robert, Calvin, Martha and William Scott and Mila

Unidentified artist (ca. 1843–1845)

How does the legacy of slavery affect life today?

This painting depicts the children of Reverend William Anderson Scott, a Presbyterian minister in New Orleans from 1842 to 1854. The spire of his First Presbyterian Church is visible at the center of the city’s skyline. Scott family papers suggest that the African American woman at the right is Mila, who was enslaved by the family. Her inferior position relative to the children is emphasized by her posture and placement within the composition.

\ About

Medium

Oil on canvas

Credit

Gift of Margaret Clifton Boyd and Cynthia Hollister Nagel

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