The Young Scribe 1873

Frederick Arthur Bridgman painted this scene of North African children at play with oil on canvas. Notice how Bridgman uses visible brushstrokes to create texture and capture the light. The rough, almost stucco-like quality of the wall is rendered with thick impasto, contrasting with the smoother treatment of the figures' garments. The clothing, likely made from locally sourced wool or cotton, drapes in soft folds, suggesting the handwoven quality of the fabric. Bridgman’s painting is, of course, also a kind of fabrication. A European artist engaging with a culture he observed. The very act of painting such a scene speaks to a dynamic of labor and representation, with the artist mediating between cultures and viewers. The making of the painting and the making of the scene are both acts of cultural exchange, inviting us to consider the artist’s role and the social context in which this artwork was produced.