Author: MORLAND, George.
Title: The fruits of early industry & oeconomy.
Description: London, T. Simpson, 1789. Large mezzotint engraving after George Morland by William Ward with below two, four line poems, by Samuel Collings. Ca. 46 x 35 cm. Beautiful image after the painting made in 1789 by George Morland (1763-1804), one of the most successful genre painters of his time. 'The title of this fictional scene implies that the diligent oversight of the businessmen-presumably owners of the dockyard outside the window and the country estate over the mantel-has enabled the family to enjoy richly patterned carpets, wine, and glassware. The young Black servant holding a basket of fresh fruit is a reminder of how much British wealth depended on enslaved labor and the slave trade in this period. African servants were considered a mark of social status at the time, and the presence of such a figure in this picture draws attention to disparities of power, privilege, and income' (Philadelphia Museum of Art).

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