About this artwork
In this expansive view of Dominica, people along the riverbank bathe, wash linens, converse, and sell produce. The presence of indigenous Carib, African, Afro-Creole, European, and mixed-race individuals attests to the long history of white-settler colonialism in the West Indies, where valuable crops such as coffee and sugar were cultivated through the labor of enslaved people.
The Italian-born artist Agostino Brunias settled on the island, painting scenes of Caribbean life for his planter-class patrons as well as white audiences abroad. Eliding the brutal conditions of slavery, his compositions shaped a reassuring vision of British imperialism for those in power. Yet by centering enslaved and free people of color—and focusing on mixed-race interactions—he also foregrounded the human impact of colonialism.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 166
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Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
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Artist
- Agostino Brunias
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Title
- View on the River Roseau, Dominica
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Place
- United Kingdom (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1770–1780
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Medium
- Oil on canvas
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Dimensions
- 84.1 × 158 cm (33 1/8 × 62 3/16 in.); Framed: 99.4 × 173.1 × 10.8 cm (39 1/8 × 68 1/8 × 4 1/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Emily Crane Chadbourne
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Reference Number
- 1953.14
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/79037/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
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