Studio of William S. Mount (from McGuire Scrapbook) 1804 - 1868

Shepard Alonzo Mount made this pencil on paper drawing titled 'Studio of William S. Mount' sometime in the mid-19th century. Mount, along with his brother William, was part of the artistic milieu that flourished in antebellum New York. They turned away from academic art, and instead focused on scenes of everyday life, particularly in rural Long Island. William became famous for his depictions of working-class white men. This drawing shows William's studio, but what isn't depicted is just as important. During this time, the lives of enslaved and free African Americans were an essential part of Long Island's economy and culture. Yet their stories are noticeably absent from the Mount brothers' art. The fences and rustic aesthetic give a particular impression of American life at this time. While the drawing seems simple, it makes us consider whose stories are told and whose are left out.