Allegory of America 1691 - 1701

Editor: Here we have Philip Tideman's "Allegory of America," a drawing and print dating from between 1691 and 1701. It definitely evokes a sense of... idealized colonialism, I suppose? With the Indigenous figure and the... enslaved worker present. What do you see in this piece? Curator: You know, it's fascinating how tidily it packages such a complex history. This isn’t just a pretty picture, it's a statement. An “allegory,” which basically means it's trying to say something bigger than just what's on the surface. Notice how the figure representing America is adorned, almost romanticized, while another figure is in what appears to be bondage. Almost like a ying and yang, where something could arise out of America as labor exists. Editor: Yeah, it feels like they're trying to put a beautiful face on something pretty brutal. I noticed the blank cartouche in the center, above the seated figure. Is that supposed to be filled in later? Curator: Precisely! Think of it as a placeholder for future "achievements," the face colonial powers want to show the world. Isn't it brilliant, and frankly, chilling how it anticipates this narrative of progress built on... what, exactly? Whose backs? Editor: So the natural resources like sugar cane, the indigenous figure and the enslaved man…they all tell the tale of America’s economic promise resting on exploited land and labor. And packaged with an empty space to continue to fill that narrative over time…wow. Curator: Exactly. It's a window into how colonial powers saw—and wanted others to see—the Americas: ripe for the taking and ready to be shaped to their desires. Pretty powerful, right? Editor: Definitely gives you a lot to think about regarding how we rewrite historical narratives and reflect upon them, thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Art’s always better when it gets you thinking, wouldn’t you say?