Two Dogs and a Boy Seated (from Sketchbook) 1835 - 1839

Francis William Edmonds created this pen and ink sketch, called "Two Dogs and a Boy Seated," in the 19th century United States. It's a simple composition: a boy sitting, perhaps reading, with two dogs nearby. What can such an unassuming sketch tell us about the social and cultural context of its creation? Edmonds was a banker by trade, but deeply involved in the New York art world, even serving as treasurer of the American Art-Union. This organization played a vital, if controversial, role in promoting and distributing American art to a wider public. They did this via subscription, and by distributing art through a lottery system. Edmonds’ sketch offers us a glimpse into the artistic practices and networks of that time. To understand this work more deeply, one might research the American Art-Union, and the rise of middle-class patronage in the United States. This sketch serves as a reminder that artistic expression is always embedded in specific economic, social, and institutional conditions.