Anti-Slavery Picnic at Weymouth Landing, Massachusetts
c. 1845
Medium
Watercolor and opaque watercolor, with pen and black ink, graphite, and collage of painted and metallic papers, on tan wove paper
Dimensions
66 × 92 cm (26 × 36 1/4 in.)
Classification
watercolor
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
73987
Art Historical Context
**Anti-Slavery Picnic at Weymouth Landing, Massachusetts** (c. 1845) by Susan Torrey Merritt captures a vibrant moment in America's abolitionist movement. This large-scale watercolor depicts a festive outdoor gathering at Weymouth Landing, Massachusetts, where activists enjoyed a picnic while advocating against slavery. Created amid the escalating tensions of the 1840s—fueled by events like the annexation of Texas and growing calls for emancipation—Merritt's work serves as a rare visual testament to the communal spirit of Northern anti-slavery efforts. Women like Merritt, often key organizers ...