Thomas Waterman Wood
Vigorously portraying everyday characters
Thomas Waterman Wood (November 12, 1823 – April 14, 1903) was an American painter born in Montpelier, Vermont.
Montpelier was a most unlikely birthplace for the artist who was to head both the National Academy and the American Watercolor Society - twin pillars of the traditional art establishment. He became President of the American Water Color Society in 1878 and served in that office until 1887. He acted as Vice-President of the National Academy of Design for a period of twelve years beginning in 1879. In 1891 he became the President of the Academy. He died in New York City.
During his residence in Louisville, Wood painted The Contraband, Recruit and Veteran, suggested by the sight of a black man in light brown jeans, who had but one leg and was hobbling along on home-made crutches. This celebrated work commemorates the transition of African American people from slavery to freedom.
His evocative work nevertheless holds a mirror to the past, allowing us to enter into its culture to recapture moments of everyday life.
Sources: T.W. Wood Gallery, Spellman Gallery
