A collection of 15 prints by renowned artist Kara Walker explores the brutality of slavery and highlights the omission of African American narratives from historical texts that emerged following the Civil War.
The exhibit, titled "Kara Walker: Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated)," responds to the two-volume anthology "Harper's Pictorial History of the Great Rebellion," which was first published in 1866. To create the prints, Walker enlarged illustrations from Harper’s and overlaid them with large, stenciled figures. In addition to looking back at this history, the work also urges visitors to consider the continuing legacy of racial stereotyping and violence.
The exhibit is on view now through June 11, 2023 at The New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side. The Historical Society added additional context to the work with images, objects, and documents from its collections.
