Remnant of the Oak
A moment of lasting history can be glimpsed from the remnant of the Treaty Oak, which stands on the edge of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum property. This black ink on paper drawing, done on site, reveals a view of a mature tree surrounded by an iron fence enveloped by layers of dense foliage.
At this location, Siwanoy American Indians signed an agreement granting lands to Thomas Pell in 1654. Through the treaty, Mr. Pell acquired territory that includes Pelham, New Rochelle, portions of the Bronx and land east of the Hutchinson River, New York. Examining the site itself can, therefore, can raise questions about the possession / dispossession of land in colonial history.
The ink drawing is heavy with brush marks and the scene seems to fill up with dark shadows. On site, the flush of natural growth nearly obscures this protected location, and it is not immediately clear that the current elm tree in the center is actually a replacement for the original white oak that was burnt in a fire in 1906. We can only understand the physicality of the historic site from illustrations and photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries. As such, this observation painting remains a vital link to our experience of this history today.
Road drawings 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper