Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Blind Man and His Daughter, Vaiala, Samoa
John La Farge traveled to the South Seas with historian and writer Henry Adams. In October 1890 they arrived at the village of Vaiala (also spelled Vaiale) in Samoa, near the modern capital of Apia. This became their home base until they left the country in late January 1891. Here they became aquainted with the famous English author, Robert Louis Stevenson. La Farge painted many watercolors documenting his experiences there. In common with other travellers from Europe and America he saw connections between the people and scenes he witnessed and the classical and archaic past, referencing Homer and Greek scuplture in his written descriptions, and seeing visual affinities with the art of Titian, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Poussin and Puvis de Chavannes. This sketch shows a young woman leading a older blind man with a stick.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
William Macbeth, New York; purchased by Henry Walters, New York, December 1907; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 1987 | American Drawings from the Walters Art Gallery. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1978 | The South Sea Paintings of John LaFarge. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/28/1977 | Examination | examined for loan |
Geographies
USA (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 4 5/8 x W: 5 3/4 in. (11.7 x 14.6 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1907 (?)
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.918