A Bit of War History: The Contraband

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/13345 This painting is one of a group of three canvases (84.12a--c) said to have been inspired by the imagined narrative of an African American soldier in the Civil War. In The Contraband, the newly emancipated slave, his belongings wrapped in an old kerchief, seeks enlistment in the Union army. Having been trained for service and wearing his uniform, he looks happy and proud in The Recruit (84.12b). In The Veteran, (84.12c) he is an amputee returning to the same office to draw his back pay or pension. Wood used a slightly different palette and handling in each picture, suggesting that the works were not painted in quick succession. Thomas Waterman Wood (American, Montpelier, Vermont 1823-1903 New York) An African American veteran who lost his leg fighting for the Union Army salutes an officer in the provost marshals office. In this imaginary scene, the soldier has gone to the office where he initially enlisted to collect his back pay or pension. The artist, Thomas Waterman Wood, painted three canvasses depicting the military life of this particular soldier. The first painting in the series, titled The Contraband, depicts him as a newly emancipated slave seeking to enlist in the army; the second, The Recruit, portrays him looking proud in his Union uniform; and the third, The Veteran (shown here), pictures him as a disabled veteran.