A Surinam Planter in his Morning Dress
Location: Surinam
Description:
This plate is, in a way, almost comical. The planter is in his morning dress, which ostensibly consists of outer clothing placed on top of his bedtime garb. This is no heroic vision of a planter or plantation owner surveying his fields and the work being done; Stedman does not allow us to see him that way. This image was drawn from memory, and the engraving was done after the sketch, but this is a vision actually seen by the author, who describes it:
The planters dress "consists of a pair of the finest Holland trousers, white silk stockings, and red or yellow Morocco slippers; the neck of his shirt open, and nothing over it, a loose flowing night-gown of the finest India chintz excepted. On his head is a cotton nightcap, as thin as a cobweb, and over that an enormous beaver hat, that protects his meager visage from the sun, which is already the color of mahogany" (252).
The ridiculousness of the costume in this scene is placed in opposition to the austerity and starkness displayed in the previous images. The heroic vision of the rebel Negro soldier is contrasted with the chintz and fine fabric of the amusingly absurd costume of the planter as he wanders his fields, which makes a great deal of sense if we consider that this book was used to stir up anti-slavery sentiment in Europe.
Book Title: Narrative of a five years' expedition against the revolted Negroes of Surinam : in Guiana on the
Plate Number: Page 252
Call Number: F2410 .S815 1971 v.