Embedded Files
Henry's Freedom Box, 2007. All images for educational use only.
Art References in Henry's Freedom Box
Art References in Henry's Freedom Box
Henry’s Freedom Box, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, tells the heartbreaking and triumphant story of Henry, a man who escapes from slavery and the South in a box. The book is based on the true story of Henry “Box” Brown who did actually escape from slavery in the same way.
The book is based on the true story of Henry “Box” Brown who did actually escape from slavery in the same way. The spread on pages thirty seven through thirty eight takes place at the denouement of the story. The use of watercolor paints and the positioning of the figures immediately draws readers' eyes to Henry who is rising from the box almost like a messiah. The facial expressions on the figures' faces and the slight smile on Henry’s help readers to feel relief: his plan of escape worked.
The spread I chose is a direct artistic reference to the lithograph print titled “The resurrection of Henry Box Brown at Philadelphia, who escaped from Richmond Va. in a bx 3 feet long 2 1/2 ft. deep and 2 ft wide” published in 1850.
"The resurrection of Henry Box Brown at Philadelphia, who escaped from Richmond Va. in a bx 3 feet long 2 1/2 ft. deep and 2 ft wide," 1850. All images for educational use only.
Both illustrations have four individuals surrounding the box, and both depict Henry emerging from the box in a joyful manner, due to his facial expressions.
In both, a mallet is present lying on the ground. In fact, it almost looks like the two images take place in the same room from details such as the shelf/table in the left corner. From the jovial expression present on the faces in “The Resurrection” to the positioning of the man in the far right, the image almost feels comical and lighthearted, almost celebratory, just like the spread from Henry’s Freedom Box. Although the image is referred to as a political cartoon, the image doesn’t feel gouache which may be due to the image’s stated purpose of “[raising] funds for the panorama,” which Brown made himself depicting what slavery was like (“The Resurrection of Henry ‘Box’ Brown”). It is clear that this image was an influence on Henry’s Freedom Box while creating the spread on pages thirty seven through thirty eight.
“The Resurrection of Henry Box Brown at Philadelphia, Who Escaped from Richmond Va. in a Bx 3 Feet Long 2 1/2 Ft” is also a clear influence on Henry’s Freedom Box for another reason: the image is one of the only known depictions of what Henry actually looked like (“The Resurrection of Henry ‘Box’ Brown”). Whether intentional or not, Henry’s Freedom Box was deeply impacted by the political cartoon.
Word Count: 399
Works Cited:
Levine, Ellen, and Kadir Nelson. Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. Scholastic Press, 2007.
The Resurrection of Henry Box Brown at Philadelphia, Who Escaped from Richmond Va. in a Bx 3 Feet Long 2 1/2 Ft. Deep and 2 Ft Wide. Library of Congress, 1850, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004665363/.
“The Resurrection of Henry ‘Box’ Brown.” Virginia Museum of History & Culture, https://virginiahistory.org/learn/resurrection-henry-box-brown. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.
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