4th of July 1819 in Philadelphia 

John Lewis Krimmel, a German immigrant, painted this scene of "4th of July in Philadelphia" in 1819, capturing the spirit and tensions of a young nation. Krimmel, considered the first American genre painter, presents a bustling panorama of celebration. Flags wave, music plays, and people from various social strata gather. However, look closer and the complexities emerge. Enslaved people serve food and drink at the edges of the festivities, their presence a stark reminder of the hypocrisy of liberty in a nation built on their labor. We see a young Black boy dancing in front of white revelers. What does this performance mean? The artist’s own background as an immigrant adds another layer, perhaps reflecting his aspirations and observations of American society. Krimmel captures not just a festive scene, but also the nuanced realities of early 19th-century America, where ideals of freedom coexisted uneasily with social and racial inequalities. This is a potent reminder of the ongoing project of American identity, its contradictions, and its promises.