1. By Grace

3. In the painting “Old Kentucky Home” made by Eastman Johnson in 1859 using a oil canvas. I see an old abandon house with people live in it, they look like they were run away slaves. Behind one of the trees look like another house that doesn’t look abandon but well built. Although the abandon house takes up most of the space in the painting. The slaves have a different tone of color in their skin and clothing. The abandon house has a warm color to it, but doesn’t stand out and blends with the background. The texture of the people are smooth as well as the house. The painting have a intermediate colors. Although the abandon house and slaves take up the most space, the house behind the tree stands out a well and the lady who is well dressed, have more cool color to it and has texture. This abandon house with the runaway slaves in it gives me the idea that Eastman Johnson was painting a event that happen in history.

4. Eastman Johnson balanced the tones of the painting that makes known for a time and event in slavery time. In my point of view the part that stands out the most is the people (slaves). Johnson sense of thin brushstroke of warm color makes a sense of repetition, also puts pattern in their clothing. The variety of warm colors puts the mood of a poor life style, but has a loving family. The only part that contrast from the people is the Caucasian woman on the right hand side standing, has a very light movement and Rhythm in her dress. There are no negative space shown in Eastman painting.

5. The peacefulness with the people in that poor environment that Eastman created in “Old Kentucky Home” makes me feel like he was trying to say that even though they live poor they are free people now with their family. The theme of the painting is how the African Americans lived in the South in the 1800’s. How he shows it by the clothing style he put on them and on the white lady. I remember when reading about how slaves would run away from their owners in the dark cold forest at night and when they got far enough they would go to a hiding or to somebody that would hide them from the soldiers. I think that Eastman was using the clothing style to tell of what time they were in. What Eastman was saying that you might have it rough, but when you have family it wouldn’t even matter.

6. I think of Eastman’s artwork a successful piece of work. I know that a lot of people realized what the message of the painting was saying especially African American people who had ancestors back in slavery time even historians. What makes Eastman’s artwork so impactful to me is the style he uses in the painting and the story behind it. With the man sitting in the chair playing his banjo to the children and relaxing shows that they have hope and enjoy every moment the have together in slavery time in 1800’s. They only thing I might would have suggest to change is a bit more mix in the people skin color to show the of color.