A Bit of War History: The Contraband.

This work, painted at the close of the Civil War by Thomas Waterman Wood, forms a narrative triptych (Series of 3 pieces) of African American military service.

This piece 1/3 "The Contraband" (A term that referred to enslaved people who fled to Union lines at the beginning of the conflict.) Shows a self-emancipated man appearing in a U.S. Army Provost Marshall General office, eager to enlist.

By the war’s end, African American men made up more than ten percent of the United States Army and Navy, fighting bravely in so-called U.S. Colored Troops.

Thomas Waterman Wood, a White Vermont-born painter, produced this realistic, empathetic work in New York at a time when stereotypical, caricatured representations of African Americans were the norm.

Be sure to look at pieces 2/3 “The Recruit” and 3/3 “The Veteran” for the complete set of these works. 

• Fine, artist-grade cotton canvas.
• High image quality and detail.
• Hanging hooks pre-installed. 
• Indoor use only.
• Soft rubber dots provide support and stability for hanging.
• Printed using non-hazardous, non-toxic, non-flammable latex inks.
• Radiata pine frame sourced from FSC certified renewable forests.