The Farm Landing 

Edward Mitchell Bannister painted "The Farm Landing" in the late nineteenth century, and the hazy scene is rich with the style of impressionism that was popular at the time. But there's more to it than just style. Bannister was one of the first African American artists to gain national recognition in the United States. He was a prominent member of the Providence Art Club, and his success came at a time when racial prejudice was rampant and African Americans were often excluded from the art world. So, his very presence was a statement. Bannister was celebrated for paintings just like this, landscapes that captured the serenity of the American countryside, a space traditionally loaded with themes celebrating white, colonial identity and a rural, agrarian ideal. Looking at this pastoral scene, we might consider how Bannister’s work allowed African Americans to participate in defining national identity and in reimagining what it meant to be an American at that time. Art historians can dig into exhibition records, letters, and community archives to discover these kinds of insights.