The Old Plantation

A centerpiece of Colonial Williamsburg's folk art collection since the 1930's, The Old Plantation has long intrigued art enthusiasts, historians, and the general public. This eighteenth-century watercolor, which has been widely reproduced in textbooks and scholarly publications, has been a valuable tool for those studying slave life, music, dance, and society, as well as those interested in the genesis of folk art in America. Though extensively analyzed and interpreted, The Old Plantation has remained a mystery. Until Now... This fascinating publication unlocks one of the great mysteries of American decorative arts, revealing not only the career of the painter, but the lives of the unnamed slaves in the images as well.