AFA 18th Anniversary

18th Anniversary 156 www.afamag.com | w ww.incollect.com This unusually large and exuberant still life has been attributed to Joseph Proctor, an African-American artist active in New York State. The flower stems are weighed down by healthy blooms, while nearby a yellow bird is about to pluck a juicy grape. The watermelon is sliced and ready to eat; ripe peaches and pineapples have been gathered for consumption. This colorful and delectable array, all arranged on a dark ground, can be understood in relationship to still life painting in the eighteenth-century Dutch tradition. Little is known about Proctor, and only a handful of works have been attributed to him. In the 1860 census, Proctor is recorded as an “artist” and his wife Sophia a “housekeeper” in New York City’s Lower East Side. Joseph Proctor (American, 1816–1897), Still Life with a Basket of Fruit, Flowers, and Cornucopia, 19th century. Oil on canvas, frame: H. 46, W. 48, D. 1½ in. Jonathan and Karin Fielding collection. Fire, which was essential for heat, light, and food preparation in early America, also posed a constant threat to early Americans. Fires in Plymouth, Boston, Williamsburg, and Charleston devastated those communities and prompted numerous building regulations and reforms. Specially designed buckets, made from leather, metal, and other materials, were used by volunteer firefighters, such as members of the Mechanic Fire Society in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. These brave souls would use the buckets to bring water from local wells to douse the flames and prevent the fire’s spread. Such objects were often decorated with elaborate motifs: here, an eagle backs a shield centered with a pair of symbolic shears while clutching the ribbon with the inscription of William P. Gookin, the owner. Pair of fire buckets, unknown maker, 1811. Leather and paint, H. 12¼, W. 8⅝, 8½ in. Jonathan and Karin Fielding collection.