The Drinker c. 1820s

Charles Wesley Jarvis created this drawing, "The Drinker," with pen and gray ink over graphite, sometime in the mid-19th century, most likely in the United States. It depicts a working-class man relaxing with a drink. We can interpret this image through the lens of the Temperance Movement, which gained traction in America during the 1800s. The movement, driven largely by middle-class Protestants, aimed to curb alcohol consumption, which they associated with poverty and social decay. Consider how the relaxed, perhaps even defiant, posture of the figure might be a subtle commentary on these social issues. Is Jarvis portraying the man as a victim of circumstance or perhaps critiquing the moral judgments of the Temperance advocates? To understand this work more fully, one might consult period newspapers, pamphlets from the Temperance Movement, or even census data to understand the socio-economic conditions of the time. Such sources provide crucial context for interpreting the meaning of art.