Thomas Blackshear II - Two Americans of the Old West, 2022
43 1/4" x 33 1/2", Oil on canvas .
“Two Americans of the Old West” by Thomas Blackshear II, a portrait of two African American cowboys. The painting is a portrait of two Black cowboys with swagger.
“For whatever reason, Black cowboys have almost been erased from the history of the West,” Blackshear says. “I wanted to do a painting that showed there were also cowboys who weren’t all white. Most people don’t know that they say 25 to 30 percent of cowboys were Black. I wanted them to look proud. This is probably right after Reconstruction and the Emancipation Proclamation, and this is the first time in their lives that they can stand up straight and strong and look you right in the eye. They were also people who had a purpose and dignity.” - Source
The term cowboy has interesting origins. Originally, White cowboys were called cowhands, and African Americans were pejoratively referred to as “cowboys.” African American men being called “boy” regardless of their age stems from slavery and the plantation era in the South. Many southerners moved to the West and westerners would have been familiar with southern racial etiquette. So, it is no surprise that the racial issues prevalent in the North and South were also impacting the American West. - Black On the Range: African American Cowboys of the 19th century
Very nice!