Dorchester 1856

Dorchester 1856

This early landscape depicts the refined cottages of Dorchester, a wealthy Boston suburb frequented by the patrons Bannister hoped to attract. The painting reveals how he strategically worked within upper-class visual tastes to secure recognition and financial stability. Its presence in the exhibit highlights the social navigation required of Black artists, who often had to appeal to white elite audiences while forging their own artistic identities.

Edward Mitchell Bannister

Bannister, Edward Mitchell. Dorchester 1856. 1856. Oil on canvas. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC. Object no. 1979.66.1.

Smithsonian American Art Museum

1856

Public domain. Image and data courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

1979.66.1

Oil on canvas

10 × 14 in. (25.4 × 35.6 cm)