Scene around a Table (from Sketchbook) 1835 - 1839

"Scene around a Table," from a sketchbook, was created by Francis William Edmonds, who lived from 1806 to 1863. Edmonds worked primarily as a banker, and his artistic endeavors were largely self-taught. His sketches and paintings offer a window into the social life of the American middle class during the 19th century. The light and airy quality of the sketch belies a period fraught with social stratification, where access to leisure and domestic comfort was far from universal. The scene is a snapshot of presumed domestic tranquility, yet it prompts us to consider the labor and social structures that would have underpinned such a moment. Who is absent from this table? What stories remain untold in this seemingly simple composition? This sketch invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between visibility and invisibility, comfort and labor, shaping our understanding of history and identity.