Banknote vignette with female figure representing marine commerce 1819 - 1837

This is a banknote vignette with a female figure representing marine commerce, made by Asher Brown Durand. Though undated, Durand was active during a period of significant economic expansion in the United States, deeply shaped by maritime trade. The vignette depicts a seated woman, classically draped, symbolizing commerce, with a ship at sea in the background. Her gaze is serene, embodying a confidence in trade and the opportunities it brings. The imagery is complicated, though, because the romantic vision of commerce overlooks the realities of the era, particularly the centrality of enslaved labor in the production of commodities like cotton and sugar, which were then transported by sea. The ship, a symbol of progress and connection, also represents the routes of exploitation and the transatlantic slave trade. Durand's vignette invites us to reflect on the complex and sometimes contradictory narratives embedded in American history, reminding us that progress for some often came at the expense of others.