A Deaf Artist in Early America: The Worlds of John Brewster, Jr.

Book Description
The extraordinary and untold story of John Brewster Jr., a preeminent Deaf American artistUntil his death 150 years ago, John Brewster Jr. was one of the most prominent portrait painters in America. Born deaf in 1766, his hauntingly beautiful portraits have a directness and intensity of vision that were rarely equaled. Harlan Lane"s groundbreaking biography includes little-known and invaluable information on the early French roots of the American Deaf-World, the first school for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, the integrated Deaf community of Martha"s Vineyard, and Contemporary Deaf art.Superbly illustrated with twenty-four pages of color images, A Deaf Artist in Early America provides a rare glimpse of Brewster and his art; it also contextualizes the distinctive culture, language, social institutions, and legacy of the Deaf in America."This riveting account of John Brewster Jr. will be invaluable not only in Deaf studies and art history, but also in early American history and the social history of American institutions."—Carol Padden, coauthor of Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture


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Deaf at birth in 1766, John Brewster Jr. didn't learn to read or to use sign language until age 51. Nevertheless, the intense and vivid portraits he painted of the nation's early privileged class earned him a place among great American artists. Through about 250 works known to have survived, Brewster left a record both of his era and of deaf life and culture during his times. In the first biography of the painter, Lane—a psychologist and historian of the deaf who is also the author of The Wild Boy of Aveyron—pays particular attention to the ways Brewster's deafness contributed to his success as an artist. He traces the history of deaf culture in America and delves as well into issues of contemporary deaf art. Illustrated with 24 rich color plates. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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