Cattawissa, Looking Down the Susquehanna 1852

Thomas Addison Richards created "Cattawissa, Looking Down the Susquehanna" with graphite on paper. Here we have a seemingly straightforward landscape, but beneath the surface lies a complex narrative of identity and dispossession. Richards, working in a period of westward expansion, often depicted serene American landscapes. However, these images frequently obscured the violent displacement of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands. The name "Cattawissa" itself is derived from a Native American language, reminding us of the original inhabitants of this land. As you gaze upon the quiet river and rolling hills, consider the stories that are missing from this picture. What does it mean to create a landscape that erases or overlooks the history and presence of Native communities? This drawing invites us to reflect on the power of representation and the ways in which art can both reveal and conceal the truths about our shared past.