Enfilade

Unidentified maker, Powder Horn, 1802, Lisbon, Connecticut, cow horn, pine, and iron (Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, James L. Goodwin Art Purchase Fund, 2023.22.1).

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Now on view at the Wadsworth Atheneum:

New Nation, Many Hands
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut, June 29–ongoing

Curated by Philippe Halbert

Political independence from Great Britain in 1783 transformed American society, and citizens celebrated the promise of their young republic through art. Acknowledging the complexities and contradictions of the era, New Nation, Many Hands presents a cross-section of objects from the permanent collection that shaped emerging American identities and the ongoing fight for freedom. Household goods, from ceramics and furniture to metalwork and textiles, combined practicality with patriotism in the early years of the United States. Some of the objects reflect changing fashions, distinct regional styles, and expanded trade networks. Others express pride in the new nation and hope for its future. All reveal stories of the people who created, used, cherished, and benefited from them during a formative moment in American history.