The Trap Sprung

Two boys, excited anticipation marked in their expressions and gestures, advance toward a closed animal trap in William Sidney Mount’s The Trap Sprung. One boy holds a caught rabbit, indicating that these enterprising youths have more than one trap in their arsenal. The boys are clearly differentiated by their appearance. The leader wears a shabby short jacket that, with its tears at elbows and shoulder, offers little protection against the winter cold. His companion, in contrast, is garbed in a thick coat with velvet trim and sports a dandified gold-trimmed cap; it is he who bears the fruits of their efforts. The image emphasizes not past success, however, but possibility about to be realized. The well-to-do boy places a restraining hand on the other’s arm as if to caution him against a too-hasty approach to the trap. The wide space between the two and their goal intensifies the suspense, for the boys, like the viewer, cannot be sure if their prey has been trapped or has escaped.

The Trap Sprung was commissioned by E. L. Carey, a successful Philadelphia book publisher, who reportedly was so pleased with the painting that he gave Mount a commission for another painting, perhaps a companion work, to represent summer. The Trap Sprung was engraved for the final edition of Carey’s popular series The Gift, a holiday publication of poetry, prose, and images published between 1836 and 1845. Accompanying the reproduction of Mount’s image was a short story of a country boy and a city boy united in the quest to find a pet rabbit for an unfortunate crippled girl. That narrative, however, diffused the veiled political message of Mount’s painting. It was created in the years following the Panic of 1837, when the conservative Whig party, popularly symbolized by the rabbit or hare, blamed the opposing Democrats for the nation’s troubles in an effort to “trap” voters for the Whig cause. Also sometimes titled The Dead Fall in reference to a type of trap that instantly kills its prey, Mount’s painting would have been understood as an image of rural life with political resonance.

Between 1839 and 1862 Mount painted several scenes of boys trapping rabbits. These images of the virtues of rural enterprise reflect the artist’s preoccupation with larger themes of agrarian labor and childhood innocence, which spoke directly to the American experience. Many of his interpretations offer sly commentary on the nature of work and rural enterprise as well as class, race, and city-country relations. In The Trap Sprung Yankee ingenuity, as opposed to brute strength or manual toil, yields success. The poses and relative positions of the figures intimate that although the poor country boy will open the trap, his wealthier, urbanized companion will reap the reward. This work is one of Mount’s relatively few wintertime scenes, for cold weather posed a challenge to the artist’s habit of painting outdoors.

The back of The Trap Sprung bears an oil sketch of a landscape with figures: a man pulling a heavily loaded cart with a woman closely following him, accompanied by two children. Inscribed “Landscape by Dow Figures by Jewett,” this sketch appears to be Mount’s record of another painting.

Tenth Annual Exhibition of the Artists' Fund Society of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1845, no. 80 (as The Dead-Fall). [exh. cat.]

Twenty-Ninth Annual Exhibition, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Spring 1852, no. 94 (as The Dead-Fall). [exh. cat.]

William Sidney Mount, Century Association, New York, New York, January–February 1967.

Painter of Rural America: William Sidney Mount, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (organizer). Venues: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., November 23, 1968–January 5, 1969; City Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri, January 18–February 15, 1969; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York, March 3–April 15, 1969; M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California, May 1–31, 1969. [exh. cat.]

Mount Exhibition and Festival, Suffolk Museum and Carriage House, Long Island, New York (organizer). Venue: Suffolk Museum and Carriage House, Long Island, New York, July–September 1972.

William Sidney Mount and American Genre Painting, Executive Mansion, Albany, New York (organizer). Venue: Executive Mansion, Albany, New York, April 16–June 15, 1974.

An Exhibition of Paintings by William Sidney Mount (1807–1868) to Commemorate the Opening of the William Sidney Mount Gallery, The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York (organizer). Venue: The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, October 1974–April 1975.

Recollections of Early Days, The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York (organizer). Venue: The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, March–July, 1977.

The Creative Process, The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York (organizer). Venue: The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, June–August 1978.

Silent Storytellers, The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York (organizer). Venue: The Museums at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, July 1–October 1981.

Nineteenth Century Genre Painting from The Daniel J. Terra Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, November 15, 1985–January 12, 1986.

A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, April 21–June 21, 1987. [exh. cat.]

Selections from the Permanent Collection: Life in 19th Century America, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, June 24–September 6, 1987.

Art of an Emergent Nation: American Painting 1775–1865, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Art Museum, The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (organizer). Venue: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Art Museum, The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, February 14–March 27, 1988. [exh. cat.]

Collection Cameo, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 1989.

Attitudes Toward Nature, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, September 30, 1995–April 21, 1996.

Visions of a Nation: Exploring Identity through American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, August 10–January 12, 1997.

Selected Works from the Collections: Two Hundred Years of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 12–August 27, 1997.

New Faces, New Places: Recent Additions to the Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, October 14–December 31, 2000.

Héroïque et le quotidien: les artistes américains, 1820–1920 (The Extraordinary and the Everyday: American Perspectives, 1820–1920), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 1–November 30, 2001. [exh. cat.]

American Classics: Selections from the Terra Foundation for the Arts, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, January 26–September 1, 2002.

A Place on the Avenue: Terra Museum of American Art Celebrates 15 Years in Chicago, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 16, 2002–February 16, 2003 (on exhibit extended run: November 2, 2002–March 2, 2003).

The People Work: American Perspectives, 1840–1940 (Le Travail à l'oeuvre: les artistes américains 1840–1940), Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venues: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, March 15–May 25, 2003; Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, June 8–August 17, 2003. [exh. cat.]

A Narrative of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, February 13–October 31, 2004.

Expanded Galleries of American Art with Loans from the Terra Foundation for American Art Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, April 15, 2005–October 2012.

Art Across America, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizers). Venues: National Museum of Korea, Seoul, February 4– May 12, 2013; Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, South Korea, June 7–September 1, 2013. [exh. cat.]

Galleries of American Art with Loans from the Terra Foundation for American Art Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, December 2013–present.

The Gift. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: E. L. Carey, 1845. [engraving p. 84]

Mount Paintings in the Collection of the Suffolk Museums and Carriage House, Stony Brook, Long Island. Stony Brook, New York: Suffolk Museums, n.d., p. 1.

Catalogue of the Tenth Annual Exhibition of the Artists' Fund Society of Philadelphia. (exh. cat., Artists' Fund Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Artists' Fund Society, 1845. Cat. no. 80, p. 8 (as The Dead Fall).

Catalogue of the Twenty-Ninth Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. (exh. cat., Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1852. Cat. No. 94, p. 6 (as The Dead Fall).

Buffet, E. P. "William Sidney Mount, A Biography: The Story of Old-Time Life in Brookhaven North Through His Pictures." The Port Jefferson Times (December 1923–June 1924). Chapter XVI, p. 22 (as Winter Sport), chapter XX, p. 27, chapter XLVI, pp. 61, 94.

Cowdrey, Barlett and Hermann William, Jr. William Sidney Mount 1807–1868, An American Painter. New York: Columbia University Press, 1944. Cat. no. 41, p. 20 (as The Dead Fall) [cat. no. 15, p. 40, the engraving,The Trap Sprung after Wm. S. Mount's The Dead Fall].

"Special Events: In the Museums." The Magazine Antiques 70:2 (August 1956): 158. Ill. p. 158.

Des Grange, J. The Mount Brothers: Henry Smith Mount (1802–1841), Shepard Alonzo Mount (1804–1868), William Sidney Mount (1807–1868). Stony Brook, New York: Stony Brook Museums, 1967, p. 44 (as The Dead Fall)

Frankenstein, Alfred. Painter of Rural America: William Sidney Mount. (exh. cat., National Gallery of Art). Washington D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1968. Text pp. 25, 61; cat. no. 22, p. 35 (black & white).

Wilmerding, John. Winslow Homer. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1972. Text p. 29; ill. 1–7, p. 36 (black & white).

Frankenstein, Alfred. William Sidney Mount. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1975. Text pp. 30, 74, 116, 153, 471; pl. 11 (color).

Christie's, New York, New York (Sale CORNELIA-5472, December 9, 1983): lot 31. Text lot 31, p. 40; ill. cover (color detail), lot 31, p. 41 (color).

Reif, Rita. "Auctions: Rare Art Finds in an English Coal Shed." The New York Times (December 31, 1983). Text.

Patterson, Jerry E. "A Top-Heavy Market." Institutional Investor (September 1984): 369–74. Ill. p. 374 (color).

Sokol, David M. "The Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois." The Magazine Antiques 126:5 (November 1984): 1156–69. Pl. III, p. 1157 (color).

Atkinson, D. Scott et al. A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art. Edited by Terry A. Neff. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1987. Pl. T-16, p. 125 (color).

Brazeau, Linda. Art of an Emergent Nation: American Painting 1775–1865. (exh. cat., University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Art Museum). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Art Museum, 1988. Text pp. 16, 24 (checklist); cat. no. 25, p. 16 (black & white).

The Trap Sprung (The Dead Fall), William Sidney Mount. Collection Cameo sheet, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 1989. Ill. (black & white).

Johnson, Deborah J. "The Genre Paintings of William Sidney Mount." The Magazine Antiques 154:2 (August 1998): 164–73. Text p. 170.

Johnson, Deborah J. William Sidney Mount: Painter of American Life. (exh. cat., The Museums at Stony Brook). New York: American Federation of Arts, 1998. Text pp. 13, 53, 58, 120, 129; fig. 45, p. 53 (black & white).

Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. An American Point of View: The Daniel J. Terra Collection. Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2002. Text pp. 58, 202; ill. pp. 5 (color), 58 (verso in black & white), 59 (color), 202 (black & white).

Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. Un regard transatlantique. La collection d'art américain de Daniel J. Terra. Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2002. Text pp. 58, 202; ill. pp. 5 (color), 58 (verso in black & white), 59 (color), 202 (black & white).

Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. The People Work: American Perspectives, 1840–1940. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2003. Text pp. 16, 29 (checklist); fig. 2, p. 16 (black & white).

Bourguignon, Katherine M. and Elizabeth Kennedy. Le Travail à l'oeuvre: les artistes américains, 1840–1940. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2003. Text pp. 16, 29 (checklist); fig. 2, p. 16 (black & white).

Art Across America. (exh. cat., National Museum of Korea, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Terra Foundation for American Art). Seoul, South Korea: National Museum of Korea, 2013. (English and Korean versions). Text pp. 37, 151; ill. fig. 25, p. 37 (color), p. 150 (color).

Bourguignon, Katherine M., and Peter John Brownlee, eds. Conversations with the Collection: A Terra Foundation Collection Handbook. Chicago: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2018. Text p. 91; ill. p. 91 (color).