Purchased with funds from the State of North Carolina
Charles Felix Blauvelt was known for painting scenes of everyday life. Because his father came from Germany, Blauvelt understood what it was like to be an immigrant. This helped him paint immigrants with care and detail.
In A German Immigrant Inquiring His Way, Blauvelt shows a German man who has just arrived in America talking with a Black man. In the 1800s many immigrants came from Europe and spoke little or no English. Their clothes, customs, and language seemed unfamiliar to people already living in the United States.
Not everyone welcomed immigrants. Some people feared change, which led to protests and unfair treatment. When this painting was shown in 1855, many viewers saw both the German immigrant and the Black laborer as outsiders in a fast-changing country.
tags: narrative
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