Munson Museum of Art has recently added an important painting by the celebrated African American artist Robert Seldon Duncanson (1821–1872) to its American art collection, capping several years of pursuit and careful negotiation. The work, “Vale of Kashmir,” is a spectacular new treasure in the Museum’s strong collection of paintings from the mid-1800s, exhibiting the technical polish and visual appeal that viewers have come to expect of the period. “Vale of Kashmir” is now on display in Munson Museum of Art’s Root Court and will soon be featured in the upcoming exhibition, “Canvas to Culture: Thomas Cole’s Voyage of Life Lives On,” on view Feb. 28 through May 18.

Duncanson was born in Seneca County, N.Y., to a family of free African Americans brought to the region by their Virginian enslavers. Praised by critics and art enthusiasts in his day, he became a major figure in the American landscape movement. Duncanson spent most of his career in Cincinnati, called the “Athens of the West” and popular with Black freedom seekers. There, he worked with photographer James Presley Ball and shared a studio with artist William Louis Sonntag and would have seen the second version of Thomas Cole’s “Voyage of Life,” painted soon after the Munson originals and exhibited in Cincinnati beginning around 1846 (now in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.). Cole’s influence can be seen in Duncanson’s painting throughout his career.

By the 1860s, Duncanson was known locally and regionally, but he continued to pursue international recognition. Perhaps fearing invading Confederate forces, he traveled to Canada in 1863, where he completed “Vale of Kashmir” in 1864. Duncanson would later return to the subject and paint two more versions of this imaginary setting taken from an epic poem of the period. In Montreal, the painter found collaborators and patrons, and he also mentored younger artists. As a teacher, Duncanson helped establish a growing Canadian landscape art tradition.

Apart from its significance from an art historical perspective, “Vale of Kashmir” marks a watershed moment in the Munson collection. It is the first painting by a 19th-century African American artist to enter the collection. This acquisition supports Munson’s goal to continually diversify its collections with works by under-represented artists.

For more information on Munson’s exhibitions and collections, visit munson.art or call 315-797-0000.

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