The Fair Rebecca is among the first in a group of paintings from 1961–63 in which Indiana addresses American industry and power, and the first of two about slavery (see The Rebecca [1962]). Rebecca was the name of a slave ship that Indiana learned about while reading up on the history of New York and its seaport. The artist’s designation of the ship as “The Fair Rebecca” in this instance is not complimentary, but in keeping with Webster’s definition of “fair” as “open to legitimate pursuit, attack or ridicule” and “not very good.”
