Abstract
Royal Scottish Academician Joseph Noel Paton (1821–1901), famous for his fairy and religious paintings, also produced a powerful yet forgotten series of drawings on slavery primarily between 1857 and ca. 1863. These appeared in Bond and Free: Five Sketches Illustrative of Slavery, a book‐cum‐portfolio. The quintet was photographed by Thomas Annan and offered to members/subscribers of the Art‐Union of Glasgow. The subject was clearly linked to the American Civil War, but accompanying biblical verses generated diverse meanings. The inclusion of mixed‐race figures, especially women, is significant, as are connections with contemporary abolitionist literature. Verbum Dei (Word of God), The Sale, The Capture, The Rescue, and Freedom represent separate phases, but only three formed an abbreviated narrative when published in 1865 in the Sunday Magazine. I analyze the visual encoding of each of the five images with special emphasis on the unusual message and vision of a new social order in the post‐emancipation scene Freedom.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
