Slaves Concealing Their Master from a Search Party

Art Historical Context

In the midst of the American Civil War Adalbert John Volck a German-born dentist and skilled etcher living in Baltimore, created *Slaves Concealing Their from a Search Party* in 1863. This print captures a tense domestic scene: enslaved individuals urgently hiding their master—perhaps behind a door or in a shadowed corner of a room furnished with a fireplace, table, chairs, stools, candles, books, and a pistol— Union soldiers conduct a search outside, hinted at by the horse and military presence. Volck's meticulous etching technique allows for dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, emphasizin...