In this activity, students investigate one depiction of a person of African descent in the Revolutionary Era. Provide students with one painting or pair of paintings from the Black Individuals in Revolutionary Art Collection.
- Washington Crossing the Delaware and Jacob Lawrence’s painting of same title, available through link for comparison
- Two Representations of William Lee
- Major Peirson
- Two Representations of James Lafayette, and essay Seeing Slavery: How Paintings Make Words Look Different
Ask students to look only at the images initially, and not to click the “Further Information” links yet. Guide the students to freely brainstorm a list of questions, making sure that they are open-ended (not yes/no questions).
After they are finished observing and generating questions, have them read the “Further Information” essays or watch the videos listed with the painting(s). Then discuss:
- How were people of African descent depicted in these artworks?
- What do they communicate about the time period in which they were created?
Consider the questions your group formulated. What answers did you find? What is unknown and why? If time allows, students may research updated works of art, memorials, etc. or create their own and share them with the class.