THOMAS WATERMAN WOOD
Thomas Waterman Wood was an American painter from Montpelier, Vermont. Although he started his career as a portraitist, Wood became a well-known genre painter, portraying subjects in everyday life scenarios. His works tackled cultural and social matters and often depicted African Americans and other marginalized groups of the time. Wood’s painting “Reading the Scriptures” was meant to convey the importance of literacy and worship amongst newly emancipated peoples. Due to his artistic contributions, Wood was appointed president of the American Society of Watercolor Painters. He held this position for more than a decade.
