Mother and Baby; Sketch of a Tree (from Sketchbook) 1835 - 1839

This is Francis William Edmonds' pencil sketch, made sometime in the 19th century, titled "Mother and Baby; Sketch of a Tree." Edmonds, working in a rapidly changing America, offers us a glimpse into the domestic sphere. The sketch depicts a woman, possibly a mother or nanny, seated with a young child. The figures are spare, minimal, and yet manage to evoke tenderness and care. Given Edmonds' historical context, it's important to consider the politics of representation at play. How does gender and race intersect in this image? The figures appear to be African American, but the sketch is ambiguous. It is an understated picture that offers us an intimate, if incomplete, narrative of the relationship between caregiver and child. What silences or absences exist? And what do they tell us about the complexities of visibility, race, and representation in 19th-century American art? The emotional resonance of this work lies in its quietude, and the way it prompts us to reflect on the histories and lives that often go unrecorded.