The Last Moments of John Brown

Thomas Hovenden

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The painting depicts a man in a brown coat walking down stone steps, surrounded by men in military uniforms and civilian clothes. The man in brown is middle-aged with a receding hairline and a beard. He wears a brown coat, black pants, and dark shoes. His right arm bends at the elbow and his hand is clenched into a fist. He is flanked by two men in dark-colored military uniforms with gold buttons, red stripes on their pants, and black hats adorned with feathers. They hold rifles. Behind him, two men in civilian attire hold rifles, one with a mustache and a black hat, the other with a beard and a brown hat. A crowd of people, including women and children, stands on the steps and in the doorway behind them. The background features a brick wall with a doorway and a window with shutters. The scene appears to be set outdoors.