Edward Mitchell Bannister

**Edward Mitchell Bannister** (November 2, 1828 - January 9, 1901) na he be a Canadian–American oil painter of de American Barbizon school. Na dem born am insyd colonial New Brunswick, he spend ein adult life insyd New England insyd de United States. Der, along plus ein wifey Christiana Carteaux, na he be a prominent member of African-American cultural den political communities, such as de Boston abolition movement. Na Bannister receive national recognition after he win a first prize insyd painting at de 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. N he sanso be a founding member of de Providence Art Club den de Rhode Island School of Design.

Na Bannister ein style den predominantly pastoral subject matter reflect ein admiration give de French artist Jean-François Millet den de French Barbizon school. A lifelong sailor, na he sanso look to de Rhode Island seaside for inspiration. Bannister continually experiment, den ein artwork dey display ein Idealist philosophy den ein control of color den atmosphere. Na he begin ein professional practice as a photographer den portraitist before he develop ein better-known landscape style.

Later insyd ein life, na Bannister ein style of landscape painting fall out of favor. Plus decreasing painting sales, na he den Christiana Carteaux move out of College Hill insyd Providence to Boston den then a smaller house on Wilson Street insyd Providence. Na dem overlook Bannister insyd American art historical studies den exhibitions after ein death insyd 1901, til institutions like de National Museum of African Art return am to national attention insyd de 1960s den 1970s.

## Biography

### Early life
Na dem Bannister on November 2, 1828, insyd Saint Andrews, a settlement insyd de Colony of New Brunswick near de St. Croix River. Na dem born ein poppie, Edward Bannister, insyd Barbados. Na dem sanso born ein mommie, Hannah Bannister (), insyd colonial New Brunswick, according to Bannister, "a stone's throw of my birthplace on de banks of de St. Croix River." Na Hannah ein parents probably komot from Barbados. Although na both of ein parents be black, na Bannister sam times be identified as "Mulatto." At de time, na dis designation dey base on skin color as perceived by de Census taker, wey na e no reflect self-identity anaa family history.Na Bannister ein poppie die insyd 1832, so na Edward den ein younger bro William be raised by dema mommie. Early on, na Bannister be apprenticed to a cobbler, buh na ein drawing skill already be noted among ein paddies den family.&#x200A; Na Bannister credit ein mommie plus igniting ein early interest insyd art. Na she die insyd 1844, after wich Bannister den ein bro live on de farm of de wealthy lawyer den merchant Harris Hatch.Der, na he practice drawing by reproducing Hatch family portraits den dey copy British engravings insyd de family library.

### Boston activist, artist, den student

Na Bannister meet Christiana Carteaux, a hairdresser den businesswoman dem born insyd Rhode Island to African American den Narragansett parents, insyd 1853 wen na he apply to be a barber insyd ein salon. Na both be members of Boston ein diverse abolitionist movement, wey na barbershops be important meeting places for African American abolitionists.Na dem marry on June 10, 1857, wey na she cam be, in effect, ein most important patron.&#x200A; Na de couple board for two years plus Lewis Hayden den Harriet Bell Hayden at 66 Southac Street, a stop on Boston's Underground Railroad (a support network give escaped slaves).

### Providence

### Death
Na Bannister die of a heart attack on January 9, 1901, while he dey attend an evening prayer meeting at ein church, Elmwood Avenue Free Baptist Church. Na he experience heart trouble for sam time buh na he plete two paintings per de previous day. During de service, na he offer a prayer wey he shortly after sit down, gasping. Na ein last words reportedly be "Jesus, help me".&#x200A;

## Artistic style

Na de young Bannister advertise einself as a portraitist, buh later he cam be popular for ein landscapes den seascapes.Drawing on ein knowledge of poetry, classics, den English literature as an autodidact, na he sanso paint biblical, mythological, den genre scenes. Much like George Inness, na ein work reflect de composition, mood, den influences of French Barbizon painters Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean-François Millet, den Charles-François Daubigny. Defending Millet insyd *The Artist and His Critics*, na Bannister see am as de most "spiritual artist of wona time" wey dem voice "de sad, uncomplaining life na he see about am den plus wich na he sympathize so deeply."

Na historian Joseph Skerrett note de influence of de Hudson River School on Bannister, while dey maintain dat na he consistently experiment thru out ein career: "na Bannister manage to please a conservative New England taste insyd art while dey continue to try new methods den styles." For dema mutual affinity plus de Hudson River School, na dem compare Bannister to ein contemporary, de Ohio-based African American painter Robert S. Duncanson. Unlike Hudson River School artists, na Bannister no create meticulous landscapes buh na he pay more attention to creating "massive but revealing shapes of trees and mountains" den works more picturesque dan sublime.Na Bannister sanso avoid de "nationalist grandeur" dem often find insyd Hudson River School paintings.

Na Bannister often make pencil anaa pastel studies insyd preparation for larger oil paintings. Na chaw of ein compositions refer to classical, mathematical methods like de Golden Ratio anaa "Harmonic Grid", wey he make careful use of symmetry den asymmetry. Insyd oda paintings, ein contrast of darks den lights create dynamic diagonals anaa circles wey dey divide de composition.&#x200A; Ein paintings be known for dema delicate use of color to depict shadow den atmosphere den dema loose brushwork. Ein later palette exhibit lighter, more muted colors: de Boston Common scene na he paint late insyd ein life be a notable example. Dis change in style dey stand in contrast to ein earlier stated disapproval of Impressionist painting.&#x200A;

Na art historian Traci Lee Costa argue dat a "reductive" emphasis on na Bannister ein biography take attention away from scholarly analysis of ein artwork.&#x200A; Insyd de lecture *The Artist and His Critics* dem give to de Anne Eliza Club on April 15, 1886, wey dem publish afterward, na Bannister spell out ein belief wey dey make art be a highly spiritual practice de pinnacle of human achievement.

## Legacy

Na Bannister be de major African American artist of de late nineteenth century wey develop ein talents widout European exposure; na he be well known insyd de artistic community of Providence wey be admired within de wider East Coast art world.&#x200A; After ein death, na he be largely forgotten by art history for almost a century, principally secof racial prejudice.&#x200A; Na dem often dey omit ein art from 20th-century art histories, den ein style of melancholic, serene landscapes sanso fall out of fashion.Still, he den ein paintings be an indelible part of a refigured relationship between African American culture den de landscapes of Reconstruction-era America.

Na Bannister ein art continue to be supported by galleries like de Barnett-Aden Gallery den de Art Institute of Chicago.Dey follow de civil rights movement insyd de 1960s, na dem san celebrate den widely collect ein work. In collaboration plus de Rhode Island School of Design den de Frederick Douglass Institute, na de National Museum of African Art hold an exhibition dem title *Edward Mitchell Bannister, 1828–1901: Providence Artist* insyd 1973. Na de Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame induct Bannister insyd 1976, wey Rhode Island College create de Bannister Gallery insyd 1978 plus an inaugural exhibition *Four from Providence : Bannister, Prophet, Alston, Jennings*.

Na de New York-based Kenkebala Gallery hold two exhibitions of Bannister ein work, one insyd 1992 wey be curated by Corrinne Jennings in collaboration plus de Whitney den one insyd 2001 on de centennial of Bannister ein death. From June 9 to October 8, 2018, na de Gilbert Stuart Museum hold an exhibition wey dey honor Bannister den Carteaux dema relationship, *"My Greatest Successes Have Come Through Her": The Artistic Partnership of Edward and Christiana Bannister*, as part of ein Rhode Island Masters exhibition series. Na Bannister ein portrait of Christiana Carteaux be de center of de exhibition.

Insyd September 2017, na a Providence City Council committee unanimously vote make dem rename Magee Street (wich na dem name after a Rhode Island slave trader) to Bannister Street, in honor of Edward den Christiana Bannister. Na de Providence Art Club unveil a bronze bust of Bannister wey Providence artist Gage Prentiss make insyd May 2021. As of 2018, art historian Anne Louise Avery dey compile de first catalogue raisonné den a major biography of Bannister ein work.

Insyd September 2023, na dem unveil a bronze sculpture of Bannister by artist Gage Prentiss insyd Providence ein Market Square. Bannister be depicted insyd life size, wey dey tap on a bench.

## House

Insyd 1884 na Bannister den Carteaux move from de boarding house of Ransom Parker to 93 Benevolent Street, wey na dem live der til 1899.Na dem build de two-and-a-half-story wooden house circa 1854 by engineer Charles E. Paine wey e now be known as "The Vault" anaa "The Bannister House". Na Euchlin Reeves den Louise Herreshoff purchase de house insyd de late 1930s wey na dem renovate am make dem add a brick exterior. Na dem make de renovation make e create consistency plus dema next-door property, so both houses fi hold dema "little museum" of antiques. Na Herreshoff die insyd 1967 wey na dem donate de porcelain collection wey dey fill de Bannister House to Washington and Lee University.

Drm now list de house as e dey contribute to College Hill ein historical designation. Na Brown University buy de property insyd 1989 wey na dem use am take store refrigerators. Secof a lack of plans for ein preservation den use, na de Providence Preservation Society put de Bannister House on ein 2001 list of most endangered buildings insyd Providence. Na Brown University presido Ruth Simmons assure historian den former Rhode Island deputy secretary of state Ray Rickman say dem go preserve de house, although na de university debate whether make dem sell de house to a third party.

Secof ein disrepair den long disuse make de house unsuitable for residence, na Brown renovate de property insyd 2015 wey na dem restore am to ein original appearance. Na dem sell am insyd 2016 as part of de Brown to Brown Home Ownership Program - na de program dey specify say if dem ever sell de house, dem for sell am back to de university.

## Artworks dem select

File:Newspaper Boy 1983.95.85 1a.jpg|alt=An oil painting portrait of a young African American boy, who wears a newsboy cap and carries a newspaper in his right hand.|*Newspaper Boy*, 1869, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum
File:'Governor Sprague's White Horse' by Edward Mitchell Bannister, 1869.jpg|alt=Oil painting of a horse groom, with his back to the viewer, brushing a large, white horse that is pawing the ground and turning to look at the groom.|*Governor Sprague's White Horse*, 1869, oil on canvas, Rhode Island Historical Society
File:'Fort Dumpling, Jamestown, Rhode Island' by Edward Mitchell Bannister.jpg|alt=A seaside scene of groups of people relaxing on the side of a grassy hill. A round fort rises further back, with two people standing atop it. A two-masted boat and a small spritsail sloop are sailing past the fort in the background.|*Fort Dumpling, Jamestown, Rhode Island*, , private collection
File:'Palmer River' by Edward Mitchell Bannister, 1885.jpg|alt=An oil painting of the woody landscape along a river. Large clouds fill the sky, but the light is clear and sunny. Little orange flowers grow in the grass that slopes down from the left side of the painting toward the river.|*Palmer River*, 1885, oil on canvas, private collection
File:'The Woodsman' by Edward Mitchell Bannister, 1885, graphite .jpg|alt=A graphite drawing on laid paper of a man walking along a forest trail, carrying a walking stick. The trees loom over him, filling most of the page, but there is a small clearing in the trees visible up ahead.|*The Woodsman*, 1885, graphite, Providence Art Club
File:Edward Mitchell Bannister - Neutakonkanut - 1983.95.10 - Smithsonian American Art Museum.jpg|alt=A bright watercolor of a thin blue river, surrounded by greenery and rocks. A small, twisted tree sits along the river bank.|*Neutakonkanut*, 1891, watercolor, Smithsonian American Art Museum

## References

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## External links

*Edward Mitchell Bannister at American Art Gallery
*Artwork by Edward Mitchell Bannister
*Biographical sketch and images at World Wide Art Resources
*Narratives of Art and Identity: The David C. Driskell Collection