Credit: A Mulatress,1924. (b/w reproduction of an oil painting) Courtesy of Radford University.
ARCHIBALD J. MOTLEY JR.
A Comparison
Motley within his career professed a preference for the polite society, as well as proper appearances, in which he reflect in his paintings. In the painting, A Mulatress posture plays an important role in communicating the woman's character. When compared with the upright, formal pose of the woman in The Octoroon Girl, the woman in A Mulatress appears to slouch casually in her chair, with her bare shoulders tilted a downward pose that many would recognize and label as unladylike. "Although such differences may seem insignificant, during this era the display of formal etiquette, was political." Etiquette was one way in which African Americans attempted to establish civil equality and counter stereotypes; a protocol that the "middle and upper classes fiercely defended".
