[Historic Americana] [Clay, Edward Williams. (1799–1857), AFTER]. "Life in Philadelphia" - Watercolor and Ink Drawing, Ca. 1830 . Large original watercolor and ink drawing, ca. 1830, a satire based Edward William Clay's 'Life in Philadelphia', with a black man serenading a black woman, who plays a guitar. Both are dressed à la mode, the man sings "Take Away, Take Away," which in the original printed caption continued "Take away, take away dose rosy lips [...] Dat is bery fine, Mr Mortimer; - you sing quite con a moor, as de Italians say!!" 12 x 15 inches [30.5 x 38 cm]. In fine condition, with a few chips to edges and mounting traces to the verso. Archivally framed under UV plexiglass.


Philadelphia printer Edward Williams Clay, inspired by Edward Cruikshank's 'Life in London' series, published his 'Life in Philadelpia' series from 1828-1830. Of the fourteen aquatints, ten pictured members of Philadelphia's free black community (who were freed when Pennsylvania banned slavery in 1780), in various stereotypical and absurd situations and did much to enforce the negative stereotypes held even in the free North. Very popular, these prints inspired a variety of printed and original copies and reinterpretations, of which this is a particularly vidid and fine example.