Valerio 1

Ali Valerio

Dr. Marinara

ENC 3315

14 September 2014  

 Woodruff’s Mark on Amistad History

             While its name means “friendship,” the Amistad was a ship that brought death and

destruction to a group of Africans who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their story is

one of tragedy, misery, and unspeakable cruelty, yet also one of perseverance, hope, and

eventual triumph. It is a moment in history that many African Americans later regarded with

pride, including one called Hale Woodruff. Woodruff was a painter who was greatly influenced

by the Amistad case, and to show this he painted a series of murals that depicted key moments in

the story. These 3 murals are some of his most well-known work, and the riveting emotions they

display reflect the passion he felt for the dramatic event. In my essay I will communicate the

history behind Woodruff’s murals, what they depict from the Amistad case, and how the images

portray the intense emotions involved in the case.

            Background on Hale Woodruff

Hale Woodruff was a well-respected black artist and art educator, known as one of the

“most talented African American artists of the Depression era” (“Hale Woodruff”). He was born

in Cairo, Illinois in 1900, and early in life he discovered both his passion for art and the reality of

racism; he desired to study art in high school but was not allowed because of segregation. He

was allowed, however, to draw cartoons for his school newspaper (Osborne). He later studied art

at a number of universities, including Academie Moderne in Paris (“Hale Woodruff –

Biography”). He began a career as the first art educator at Atlanta University in 1931, where he

Valerio 2

built a thriving art program that included The Atlanta Annuals, a series of national art exhibitions

for African American artists (Dunkley). This further led to development of Atlanta University’s

historic collection of African American art. Other notable acts of Woodruff include teaching at

New York University from 1946 until 1948 when he retired, and establishing a discussion group

in 1963 for African American artists that later influenced the Black Arts Movements of the

1960s and 70s. At the First World Festival of Negro Arts, held in Dakar, Senegal, Woodruff was

the chair of the visual arts committee for the United States exhibition (Osborne). Woodruff was

successful in promoting the importance of African American artwork in the world. As he said in

a statement in 1968, “the one thing I think that must be guarded against, is that, in our efforts to

create a black image and assert our quality, our character, our blackness, our beauty, and all that,

the art form must remain one of high level” (Dunkley). Despite all his achievements, Woodruff

never forgot the importance of his art.

The Amistad Series

Throughout his art career, Woodruff created three series of murals, one of which was The

Amistad series. These murals depict major points in the history of the Amistad case, a

momentous event where 53 Africans were illegally taken from their homes and nearly forced

into slavery on a ship called the Amistad. The Africans fought back and demanded to be sailed

home, but they were tricked and sailed to the United States. A court case ensued pertaining to the

multiple claims of ownership of the Africans on the Amistad, and the District Court declared

them free men. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, where they were also found to be

free men and were allowed to return to Africa. The outcome of United States v. The Amistad led

to a turning point for the abolitionist movement in 1841 (“The Amistad Case”).

Valerio 3

            The Amistad murals were painted in 1939 and 1940 and were directly inspired by the

treatment of blacks in his own time period; specifically, the southern lynching of blacks in the

1930s. They reflected his style of “bold and muscular” (“Hale Woodruff”), and his insight to

cubanism, regionalism, and murals that he gained throughout his life up to that point. He was

exposed to cubanism while studying in Paris; in that era, regionalism was a popular style in the

segregated south, which he adopted his work as well; and he worked with the great muralist

Diego Rivera in Mexico in 1938 (Osborne). The Amistad murals were commissioned in 1939 in

celebration of the one-hundred year anniversary of the Amistad case, and they were displayed in

the Slave Library at Atlanta’s Talladega College (“Hale Woodruff”).

            Woodruff’s First Mural

The first mural in Woodruff’s series is titled The Revolt. It depicts the African’s initial

fight for the return of their freedom on board the Amistad. It shows the Africans with knives

fighting the Spaniards with guns. The Spaniards look well-dressed and groomed, while the

Africans look malnourished and are only covered in white cloths that resemble diapers. Yet, the

Spaniards appear skinny and weak, and the Africans muscular and powerful. The Africans have

their knives in full view held high in the air, which look fat and menacing; the Spaniards have

their skinny and feeble-looking guns partially hidden (which makes them appear to be even less

of a threat) and pointed down in defeat. The jaggedness of the sea waves reflect the chaos

happening on board the Amistad.

There are fallen men on both sides, indicating this was a costly battle, but while the

Spaniards have looks of horror on their faces, the Africans have looks of sturdy focus. They

seem absolutely determined to win this fight. In the left part of the background, a clump of

Africans wave their knives and hands in the air in triumph, nearly smiling; in the right part of the

Valerio 4

background, two Spaniards (one with a look of hatred on his face) attempt to escape on a

lifeboat. These are probably Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montez, who are captured by the Africans and

forced to sail them back to their home, though that’s not what ultimately happened.

Although this image depicts the middle of a battle, it is not hard to see from the elements

displayed who comes out victorious. The Africans clearly win the fight. They are stronger, more

powerful, and have more motivation than the Spaniards.  The African’s success in Woodruff’s

first mural could be foreshadowing the ultimate success that the Africans will later have in their

trial.

Woodruff’s Second Mural

The second mural, The Court Case, depicts the Circuit Court trial in which lawyer Roger

Baldwin and the Abolitionists tried to argue that the Africans were not property but free men.

The judge, Andrew Judson, governed the trial without a jury. It was rumored that President

Martin Van Buren picked Judson for the case, as he wanted to keep the Africans enslaved in

order to ensure southern support (Linder). Judson had ruled against blacks in the past, and he was

expected to do it again (“Amistad: The Federal Courts”). Those on the left side of the room

include Cinque, the leader of the African tribe; Roger Baldwin, the lawyer who defended the

Africans; Lewis Tappan, one of the Abolitionists; and James Covey, the translator for the

Africans. The Africans appear tense and their faces are downcast, and they are anxiously talking

to each other during the proceedings. Those on the right side of the room include Jose Ruiz and

Pedro Montez, the Spaniards who claimed that the Africans were their property; Lieutenant

Thomas Gedney, the commanding officer of the brig Washington that seized the Amistad, and

demanded a salvage award; and Henry Gilpin, who claimed the Amistad and its cargo (including

Valerio 5

the Africans) should be returned to Spain. Some have looks of smugness on their faces, believing

their claim will win out over the others.

It came as a surprise, however, when he decided the Africans were free men, not

property, and should be released (“The Amistad Case”). The image shows the judge with his

head facing the Africans, possibly to indicate that they are about to win the case. Again, this

painting shows the court case at any possible moment, but from analysis one can see that the

Africans will win.

Woodruff’s Third Mural    

The third mural, Back to Africa, shows the now freed Africans on board a ship with the

Abolitionists, who help them return home. This painting has an atmosphere of cheer and

celebration. The Africans are holding their belongings and raising their hands in praise. One

bows low with his hand over his heart and his eyes closed, possibly in prayer. There is an

African child in the picture, which could be a symbol of innocence. There are also doves flying

in the background, which could represent peace. There are more Africans in a smaller boat in the

background, with their arms also raised in triumph. This is the final painting in the series, and it

echoes what the entire series has shown all along: the victory of the Africans.

There are plenty of moments that Woodruff could have chosen to paint from this story,

but he chose to paint three points that distinctly ended in victory for the Africans. And as this

event was a success for the abolitionist movement, its long-term effects were positive as well.

The bright colors throughout show that there was always hope for the Africans, and in the end,

that hope did not fail them. More than anything, these paintings portray the emotions of the

people involved in the case. Woodruff’s use of color, body language, facial expressions, and

posture show how emotionally charged the entire ordeal actually was.

Valerio 6

Woodruff’s murals showed the Africans’ journey from slavery to freedom, and his work

reminds us of the emotional impact of such an event. After resting in the Slave Library at

Talladega College with other murals depicting black victories, the series embarked on a national

tour and currently resides in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

(“National Museum”).

 

                                            

Valerio 7

   Works Cited

"The Amistad Affair: A Trial History." Univerisity of Missouri - Kansas City, n.d. Web. 06 Sept.  

2014.  "The Amistad Case." The National Portrait Gallery, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.  "Amistad: The Federal Courts and the Challenge to Slavery — Historical Background and  

Documents." History of the Federal Judiciary. Federal Judicial Center, n.d. Web. 6 Sept.  

2014.  Dunkley, Tina. "Hale Woodruff (1900-1980)." Georgiaencyclopedia.org. New Georgia  

Encycloedia, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.  "Hale Woodruff - Biography." RoGallery.com. RoGallery: Select Artworks Online, n.d.

Web. 06 Sept. 2014.  "Hale Woodruff." Americanart.si.edu. Smithsonian American Art Museum, n.d. Web. 06 Sept.  

2014.  "Images of the Amistad Case." University of Missouri - Kansas City, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.  Kann, Drew. "Artist Hale Woodruff." Chicago Tonight. Chicago Tonight, n.d. Web. 06 Sept.  

2014.  Linder, Douglas O. "The Amistad Case." Famous American Trials. University of Missouri- 

Kansas City, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.  "National Museum of African American History and Culture Presents “Rising Up: Hale  

Woodruff’s Murals at Talladega College”." Newsdesk: Newsroom of the Smithsonian.  

Smithsonian, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2014.  Osborne, Kimberly P., and Lester Sullivan. "Hale Woodruff Papers, 1865-1985 | Amistad  

Research Center." AmistadResearchCenter.org. Amistad Research Center, n.d. Web. 06  

Valerio 8

Sept. 2014.  Waddington, Chris. "'Rising Up'" NOLA.com. National Orleans Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 06  

Sept. 2014.