Matthew Day Jackson

Perry Rubenstein Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above

London, The Royal Academy of Arts, USA Today, October - November 2006, pp. 190-191, illustrated in color

This painting is in excellent condition overall. There is a minor scattering of tiny airborne dust and matter which has settled lightly in the yarn. This work is not framed. Upon request, there is a letter available from the National History Museum in London identifying the mother of pearl and abalone species in this work as not under the protection of the current CITES convention.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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"Delving into the legends of American history, Matthew Day Jackson examines the myth-making of national identity. Through his 'paintings' Jackson recycles his country's iconic symbols to assemble alternate versions of past events that reflect and critique present-day politics and the traditional roles of the artist as 'cultural antennae' and 'storyteller'. " (Exh. Cat., London, The Royal Academy of Arts, USA Today , October - November 2006, p. 189)  With its powerful aesthetics, Harriet (Last Portrait) is an exquisite example of Day Jackson's artistic commitment to his signature ideological and utopian vision.

Harriet Tubman is a legendary figure in American history, the emblem of African-American abolitionism and Women's suffrage. Born in 1820 in Maryland, she escaped from slavery in 1949 and later, after the approval in 1850 of the Fugitive Slave Law, helped dozens of fugitives escape to Canada. During the American Civil War, Tubman joined the Union Army and eventually served as an armed scout and spy. Among her heroic exploits, Tubman guided troops in the Combahee River raid in 1863, which liberated hundreds of slaves in South Carolina. Day Jackson's portrait depicts Tubman at the end of her life in homage to her revolutionary existence and symbolic stature. With Tubman's intense and proud expression, Day Jackson references the heritage of historical portraiture by artists such as Gilbert Stuart, although the artist's choice of media reveals his innovative re-interpretation of this genre through a spectacular employment of craftsmanship typical of folk-art tradition. By enlisting the positive heroism of historic American iconography, Day Jackson creates a futurist vision and projects his artistic mark into posterity.