Artist:
Arthur Burdett Frost
(American, 1851 - 1928)
Stan' Up!
Medium: Wash on paper
Date: ca. 1905
Dimensions:
21 × 14 1/2 in. (53.3 × 36.8 cm)
Accession number: 82.16.88
Curatorial RemarksArthur Burdett Frost was called "the most American of American artists." Born and raised in Philadelphia, Frost was primarily self-taught, although he took classes with Thomas Eakins and William Merritt Chase. Working mainly in pen and ink because he was color blind, he became best known for his illustrations of Joel Chandler Harris' American classic, "Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings."
The success of "Uncle Remus" encouraged Frost to illustrate stories about the lives of plantation workers in the post-Civil War era. One of these was Caroline Abbot Stanley's tale of Brother Peter-Paul, who maintained that all medical problems were the result of bad temper, contrariness, and obstinacy. In "Stan Up!" a patient confronts the charlatan healer. This humorous image demonstrates Frost's sure grasp of expressive faces and gestures.
The success of "Uncle Remus" encouraged Frost to illustrate stories about the lives of plantation workers in the post-Civil War era. One of these was Caroline Abbot Stanley's tale of Brother Peter-Paul, who maintained that all medical problems were the result of bad temper, contrariness, and obstinacy. In "Stan Up!" a patient confronts the charlatan healer. This humorous image demonstrates Frost's sure grasp of expressive faces and gestures.