Southern Resort Town c. 1880

Dana Smith painted 'Southern Resort Town', on an unknown date and using unknown materials, sometime between 1805 and 1901. This artwork is a window into the evolving landscapes of the American South, particularly during the Reconstruction era. The painting depicts a resort town where the promise of leisure and progress intersects with the realities of a society still grappling with the after-effects of slavery and the Civil War. The inclusion of a train suggests technological advancement, yet the painting’s serene, almost dreamlike quality hints at an underlying tension. The resort may also imply the selective accessibility of leisure, reflective of the social and racial stratifications of the time. 'Southern Resort Town' invites us to consider whose experiences and narratives are being represented, and whose are being left out, of the idyllic image of the American South.