Artwork
Black Sawyers Working in front of the Bank of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Black Sawyers Working in front of the Bank of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is a watercolor work on paper by the American Folk Art artist John Lewis Krimmel|Pavel Petrovich Svinin. It dates from 1811 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This watercolor and graphite work, created around 1811 by John Lewis Krimmel, is a genre scene depicting laborers at work.
About this work
Overview
This watercolor and graphite work, created around 1811 by John Lewis Krimmel, is a genre scene depicting laborers at work.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows African American men sawing and handling lumber in front of a large, columned building identified as the Bank of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Onlookers, including a woman with a child, observe from the sidewalk, highlighting the contrast between the workers' physical labor and the onlookers' leisure.
Technique & Style
Krimmel's use of watercolor and graphite on laid paper achieves a soft, detailed representation of the scene. The watercolor technique allows for subtle color variations and textures, capturing the rough ground and the workers' activities.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Lewis Krimmel|Pavel Petrovich Svinin
When John Lewis Krimmel wasn’t painting Philadelphia’s daily life, he sketched the city’s odd corners—like a rowdy inn or soldiers drilling in front of a bank.
