William Sidney Mount
American, 1807­1868
Walking the Line
1835
Oil on canvas
57.5 x 69.7 cm
Goodman Fund, 1939.392

In this 1835 tavern scene, one man holds an empty drinking vessel over his head—he has drunk it all. Other seated men challenge him to walk a straight line on the floor; he stamps his feet along the floor line as they clap a beat or watch his feet. His ragged clothes suggest that he is a laborer. His possessions are on the floor behind him. How do you think he earns a living?

Where does the young African-American stand? Mount was against slavery and his paintings often comment on issues faced even by free African-Americans, such as this man.