"Mobile Free boy of color"

"Mobile Free boy of color"

This painting shows a well dressed Mobile Free boy of color holding a orange a symbol of wealth in front of a brightly painted stucco Federal home in the style of Asher Benjamin and Minard Lafever both influential American architects of churches and houses in the United States in the early nineteenth century. The stucco building having Ionic plasters, painted cast iron window and door cornices. The Faux finished paneled door is painted cypress to look like Mahogany and birds eye Maple a popular combination at this time in Faux wood. A nice geometric Neoclassical inspired transom over the door. A granite door step, slate foundation stone and flagstone sidewalk imported to Mobile from the North. The carved cypress cornice molding is hung with flower festoon. Mobile unlike other towns in the South had a large amount of free people of color due to it's French & Spanish past just like it's sister city New Orleans. Although this is not a exact building in Mobile, Alabama. Mobile would have had very slimier building like this with some of American's top architects arriving into the city at this time, James Dakin and Gallier.