Portrait of Cyrus Bruce standing contraposto in front of the Langdon house door. Cyrus Bruce is depicted with his right hand on his hip and his left hand on the door knocker. He wears a purple tailcoat, yellow waistcoat, and green breeches.
portraits
oil paint (paint)
wax
paper (fiber product)
Picture
Portrait
Portrait
"Artful Stories": In 1783, Cyrus Bruce, a formerly enslaved black man, began working for Governor John Langdon in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he was admired for his "gentlemanly appearance." Few people in Bruces situation were recorded for posterity, so in 2018, when Haynes, an African American artist from Portsmouth, undertook a residency at Historic New Englands Langdon House, he had to imagine the servants appearance. This pose suggests Bruces authority, and his shadow seems to move forward toward new opportunities. Yet the door knocker resembles a question mark, leading us to wonder about Bruces fate.
TR2032.1
Haynes, Richard, Mr., Jr. (Artist)
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
39 1/4 x 29 (HxW) (inches)
Gift of Richard Haynes, Jr.
2019.22.1
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