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INDEXES ON Newsstand Rate $1.75 Published by The Bee Publishing Company, Newtown, Connecticut PAGES 46 & 47 Represent: 200 Years Of African American Art BY STEPHEN MAY sculptors and photographers. The collection dates , PENN. — One of the most back to acquisition of a Tanner painting in 1899. important developments in American art museums Consulting curator for the show is art historian in recent years has been increasing collection of art- Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw. Organizing curator is work by African American artists. The civil rights John Vick, a curatorial assistant at the museum. movement stimulated new interest in their work, Timothy Rub, the museum’s director and chief and black museums were established as these executive officer, stresses the timely significance of artists gained credibility and acceptance in main- the current exhibition at a time when “race remains stream art circles. Slowly, but surely, art historians a key topic of conversation in the …” and museums have brought to public attention the Between the Seventeenth and Nineteenth accomplishments of black artists, many of whom Centuries, African American art in the South took overcame enormous racial obstacles to become tal- ( continued on page 8C ) ented interpreters of a broad range of stories, sub- jects, styles, mediums and traditions. Elizabeth In this stern but vulnerable likeness, sculptor Broun, director of the Smithsonian American Art John Woodrow Wilson said he wanted viewers Museum, which holds 2,000 African American to recognize in this contemplative expression works — the largest such collection in the world — the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr’s energy has observed that “Once ignored or too narrowly and strength, as well as his weariness and per- considered, African American art is finally under- sonal struggles. This charcoal drawing was stood as an essential part of America’s culture.” used in designing an 8-foot-tall bronze portrait A good example of the historic development and of the civil rights leader in a Buffalo park. A continuing growth of African American art in a pres- 125th anniversary acquisition, purchased with tigious museum are the holdings of the Philadelphia funds contributed by the Young Friends of the Museum of Art. “Represent: 200 Years of African Philadelphia Museum of Art in honor of the American Art,” on view January 10–April 15, show- 125th anniversary of the museum and in cele- cases 75 works by 25 significant black painters, bration of African American art, 2000.

“Libraries Are Appreciated” by Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000), 1943. One of the great stars to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance, Lawrence achieved national recognition for his narratives of African American life and history, notably the iconic “The Great Migration” series, com- pleted when he was in his 20s, which traces the movement of African Americans to the North. Later, he painted many works dignifying ordi- nary black workers, from carpenters to construction workers, and others striving to get ahead. In this work, set in the New York Public Library at 9 West 124th Street, he depicted three figures reading books, suggesting a thirst for knowledge that will enable them to succeed in life. The Louis E. Stern Collection, 1963 ©2014 the Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Seattle/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

At Philadelphia Museum Of Art 8C — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — January 16, 2015

“Smoking My Pipe” by Samuel “Mr Prejudice” by Horace Pippin “Squirrel” by William Joseph Brown Jr (1907–1944), (1888–1946), 1943. The best known Edmondson (1874–1951), “Hands” quilt by Sarah Mary Taylor Philadelphia, 1934. Perhaps among untutored African Tennessee, date unknown. (1916–2000), Mississippi, winter 1980, buoyed by help from New Deal art American painters, Pippin sur- One of the most remarkable 83¼ by 78 inches. Quilts, longtime cre- programs, Brown, in this jaunty mounted a painting arm crippled self-taught artists in the col- ations of black female craftspeople in self-portrait, presents himself as a in World War I to create works of lection is Edmondson, who the South, are represented in the pipe-smoking, bow-tied young great visual sophistication and used cast-off materials like Philadelphia Museum by a dazzling artist and confident, fashionably emotional impact. He gained granite curbstones to create array of brilliant colors and varied dressed man about town. In reali- national attention for genre scenes, highly appealing animals. patterns, including some by the ty, he was struggling to make a liv- landscapes, still lifes, and religious Edmondson also fashioned famed Gee’s Bend, Ala., quilters. ing during the Great Depression. and historic scenes. In “Mr sculptures of ordinary folk in Taylor traced her left hand on a sheet Public Works of Art Project, on Prejudice” he took on the issue of the world of work and divine of paper, which was then cut out and long-term loan to the Philadelphia discrimination faced by black men beings in the world of faith, used as the pattern using fabric Museum of Art from the Fine Arts returning from military service in such as Christ on the Cross shapes from old dresses. The Ella Collections, US General Services World War I. Gift of Dr and Mrs and angels. Gift of Marguerite King Torrey collection of African Administration. Matthew T. Moore, 1984. and Gerry Lenfest, 2005. American quilts, 2006. Represent: 200 Years Of African American Art ( continued from page 1C ) The standout work in the exhibition for many will the facts of nature, but to effect a mood. His biblical be Henry O. Tanner’s compelling “The scenes, at once unusual and powerful, clinch the form of quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic Annunciation,” 1898, in which a spectacular column Tanner’s standing as the preeminent Nineteenth vessels that often resonated with comparable crafts of light (standing for Gabriel, the angel of annuncia- Century African American painter. in Africa. tion) floods a room with golden light and spotlights The flourishing of black pride, creative innovation The exhibition begins with rare examples of fine Mary, who sits uneasily on the edge of a couch. and interest in artists’ African roots in the 1920s and and decorative arts crafted by free and enslaved After being Thomas Eakins’ only African American 1930s Harlem Renaissance made it a period of artists before the Civil War, including early student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine African American cultural renewal with a profound Nineteenth Century silhouettes made by Moses Arts and study in France, Tanner relocated perma- effect on the direction of black artists. It was guided Williams, who worked in Charles Willson Peale’s nently to Paris in 1892, seeking to escape discrimi- by Howard University philosopher Alain Locke, who Philadelphia museum, and a large storage jar with nation in his homeland. His early work focused on encouraged modern but distinctively African Bible excerpts inscribed across the lip by South genre scenes of African American life, notably “The American achievement and a return of black artists Carolina potter David Drake. Banjo Lesson” and “The Thankful Poor.” Before the to their African origins. Joshua Johnson (circa 1763–circa 1824), a black turn of the century Tanner also created the wildly Among the major painters of the movement: Aaron portraitist from Baltimore, is often considered successful “The Resurrection of Lazarus,” 1896, and Douglas, Palmer Hayden, William H. Johnson, Jacob America’s first person of color to make a living as a a heartfelt “Portrait of the Artist’s Mother,” 1897. Lawrence and Archibald Motley Jr. Important sculp- painter. Apparently self-taught, he created naïve but From France, Tanner traveled widely in the Holy tors included Richmond Barthe and Augusta Savage. charming likenesses of Baltimore’s white, wealthy Land, recording his observations of people and archi- An often overlooked star, Douglas (1899–1979) elite that are represented in the museum collection. tecture, along with scenes from the Bible. With painted shadowy, evocative murals that contrasted Although he lacked formal training, Robert S. expressive use of light and subtle, restrained colors the myth and reality of black life in the South. He Duncanson (1821–1872) was hailed in his day as the in simplified compositions, Tanner sought not to copy also painted in a Cubist manner, as in the museum’s “best landscape painter in the West.” Born in “Birds in Flight.” Canada, he traveled extensively around the Midwest The incomparable William H. Johnson (1901–1970) and Europe, living primarily in Cincinnati, where he was an academically trained expressionist painter turned out portraits of the local gentry and romantic, who returned from Europe and employed a colorful, pastoral, landscapes that put one in mind of Thomas deliberately primitive style to convey the African Cole and the Hudson River School. American experience. Canadian-born Edward M. Bannister (circa Self-taught artist Horace Pippin (1888–1946) over- 1828–1901) settled in Detroit and set out to disprove came the crippling of his painting arm in World War a New York Herald Tribune comment in 1867 that I by developing means to create appealing primitive “the Negro seems to have an appreciation of art, compositions that offered glimpses of wartime bat- while being manifestly unable to produce it.” He tlefields and African American life. In “Mr rarely dealt with social injustices suffered by African Prejudice,” he depicted slavers, mem- Americans, choosing instead to paint idealized land- bers and other racists seeking to undermine free- scapes and seascapes influenced by the French doms for which African Americans had fought. Barbizon School, as well as portraits and biblical The greatest of all African American artists, Jacob scenes. His “Under the Oaks” won a medal at the Lawrence (1917–2000), blended abstract and figura- 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, but tive art with vibrant flat color and sharp contours to Bannister was temporarily refused entry to the convey the universal quest for freedom, justice and gallery where it hung because of his race. human dignity. His 60-image series chronicling the An important contemporary, Edmonia Lewis (circa Great Migration of blacks from the agrarian South to 1840–1907), was a half-black and half-Native “The Annunciation” by Henry O. Tanner the industrial North is arguably the most important American sculptor who overcame enormous obsta- (1859–1937), Philadelphia, 1898. A high point of series in American art history. cles to become a star. While in Boston, her marble the Philadelphia Museum’s African American Toward the end of his career Lawrence documented bust of martyred Colonel Robert Gould Shaw estab- Collection is this work by Tanner, who spent the value and constructive role of people who work lished her reputation and earned her money and most of his career as an expatriate in France. with their hands and/or provide valuable community patronage to relocate to Rome. There she became a The bright yellow column at left suffuses the services, as in “The Libraries Are Appreciated.” member of the group of British and American women setting with a golden glow, magnifying the sig- Among black sculptors, standouts include Meta sculptors dubbed by Henry James “the white mar- nificance of the biblical scene, and demonstrat- Warrick Fuller, Augusta Savage, Richmond Barthe morean flock.” ing why Tanner is considered the greatest and self-trained William Edmundson, who created Lewis created notable neoclassical sculptures of African American painter of the Nineteenth charming limestone works depicting animals and American Indians like Henry Wadsworth Century. Purchased with the W.P. Wilstach African Americans. Longfellow’s Hiawatha and Minnehaha, various bib- Fund in 1899, “Annunciation” was the first “Represent” showcases standouts among self- lical figures and an unforgettably moving marble of work by an African American to enter the taught black painters, such as Minnie Evans, who “The Dying Cleopatra.” museum’s collection. worked for years at a North Carolina botanical gar- January 16, 2015 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 9C

den and incorporated her observations into bright, vivid compositions of exotic flowers and fantastic foliage. Clementine Hunter spent a lifetime on a Louisiana plantation, where she created endearing naïve vignettes of cotton picking, wash day, church rituals and other aspects of plantation life. Bill Traylor’s whimsical figures and objects have an enduring appeal. By contrast, Beauford Delaney (1901–1979) received academic training in Boston and Harlem and specialized in depicting creative people he met, such as James Baldwin. He rendered them with per- ception, empathy and expressionist fervor. Alma Thomas (1891–1978), a Howard University graduate who taught for nearly four decades in District of Columbia schools, was an important mem- ber of Washington’s Color Field group. Her explo- rations of color and abstraction led to paintings with striking swatches of bright hues arranged in “Rift” by Nigerian-born Odili Donald Odita, mosaiclike patterns in themes derived from nature. 2005. Odita now works in Philadelphia, where Longtime Howard University teacher Lois Mailou he designs colorful installations and canvases. Jones (1905–1998) melded extensive academic train- In this multicolored work, a zigzagging line at ing with an interest in African American, Haitian, the center of the composition splits the color African and European subjects in developing a var- motifs and rearranges them in a multilayered ied oeuvre over the course of an extended career. image. “The rift is emblematic of the split Early on she used a Post-Impressionist style and a between continents and colors, artistic tradi- “Birds in Flight” by Aaron Douglas subdued palette to depict Parisian street scenes and tions and generations of artists, the economi- (1899–1979) 1927. Kansas-born Douglas, a Cezannesque landscapes. Later work reflected Jones’ cally privileged and the disadvantaged,” leader of the Harlem Renaissance, helped interest in African masks, American social injustices observes art historian Adelina Vlas. Purchased open the way for African American artists to including lynching, and Haitian culture. with funds contributed by Jane and Leonard employ explicitly black themes, inspiring a Two of Jones’ students at Howard, Elizabeth Korman, 2007. resurgence of racial pride in black art. While Catlett and David Driskell, have made important teaching at several institutions of higher contributions to the evolution of African American Bob Thompson (1937–1966), was a standout colorist learning he created murals featuring flat- art. Catlett (1915–2014), a Washington native, was a from Louisville, who studied, painted and lived in tened, nearly transparent, silhouettes dra- gifted painter, printmaker and sculptor who made New York and Paris, evolving a style mixing realism matically documenting the African American her career in Mexico, but focused her art on the with large swatches of brilliant color often depicting journey from Africa through to eman- African American experience and the need for social Biblical themes. In the exhibition, “Deposition,” cipation. Here he makes effective use of ener- and economic freedom. Her riveting, iconic image of incorporating a crucifixion scene, is typical of his getic flat patterns reflecting the fragmenta- a weathered, elderly woman, “Sharecropper,” reflects work; he died at 28 before reaching his full potential. tions and reductions of post-Cubist art, as her concerns about the plight of working-class black The Philadelphia collection includes examples of well as African designs. Promised gift of women. Catlett’s wood and metal sculptures, made African American photography by James VanDerZee, Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest in honor of with sinuous curves and minimal details, run the Lorna Simpson, Carrie Mae Weems and others and a Anne d’Harnoncourt. ©Heirs of Aaron gamut from intertwined images of mother and child brilliant array of quilts made by black craftspeople. Douglas/Licensed by VAGA, New York. and female poets to energetic female nudes. The show places strong emphasis on the modern Driskell (b 1931), a Howard graduate now retired era, when black artists began to have greater access blaze with color and often convey messages against from a distinguished career in academia, has played to artistic training and professional opportunities. racism and for greater freedoms for black painters a central role in increasing appreciation for African Many contemporary African Americans directly con- and sculptors. American artists and art history. His own art is bold, front issues of racism and discrimination. Glen The Philadelphia Museum is on Benjamin Franklin colorful, semiabstract and often drawn from nature, Ligon’s text paintings and Kara Walker’s silhouettes Parkway at 26th Street. For information, 215-763- religious themes or African subjects. The latter, influ- stand out in this regard. 8100 or www.philamuseum.org. enced by visits to Africa, brought the geometry, forms The exhibition hints at the grand future potential and brilliant palette of African artists into his paint- of African American artists like Moe Booker and All images, unless otherwise noted, are courtesy of ings, collages and prints. Barkley L. Hendricks with numerous works that Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Rising Up: Hale Woodruff Murals At Talladega College At National Museum Of American History

BY STEPHEN MAY of the mutineers (including a WASHINGTON, D.C. — A subtle self-portrait of the series of great American artist) and the subsequent murals, little known because repatriation of captives to of their rural location, has Africa. For Woodruff, who begun a national tour. “Rising studied in Europe, the mask- Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals like faces conjure up Africa at Talladega College,” on view and Picasso. The writhing at Washington’s National figures and swirling composi- Museum of American History tion reflect his apprentice- (NMAH) through March 1, ship with Diego Rivera and showcases the beautifully con- resonate with murals by served, magnificent murals Thomas Hart Benton. from Talladega College in “The Trial of the Amistad Captives” by Hale Woodruff (1900–1980), 1839. The surviving The companion canvases Alabama. Considered the slavers tricked the mutineers by pretending to pilot them to Africa when in fact they feature an Underground greatest achievement of followed a course along the US coastline and were seized by American authorities, who Railway scene, early days of Woodruff (1900–1980), an imprisoned the Africans. To emphasize the dramatic scene at the trial of the captives in Talladega College and con- acclaimed African American New Haven, Woodruff used a 20-foot long canvas — twice the length of the other murals. struction of Savery Library, painter and educator, they are Collection of Talladega College, Talladega, Ala. where both mural cycles arguably the most powerful were installed. Talladega statements ever made by an American muralist. Combs, a museum curator. The accompanying cata- was founded in 1867 by two former slaves, William Woodruff inspired generations of students while log is excellent. Savery and Thomas Tarrant. The library named for teaching at Atlanta University and New York As High curator Stephanie Mayer Heydt writes in Savery was built in 1939, and the murals were dis- University. As an up-and-coming young artist he the catalog, Woodruff’s narrative “demonstrates played there until they were taken down, cleaned worked not only to hone his painting skills, but victory over oppression, underscoring modern-day and put on national tour. engaged in debates about the role of black art and civil rights efforts.” The exhibition will tour to The 155-page “Rising Up” catalog provides useful artists in the struggle for racial equality. In the other museums before returning to Talladega. insights into the murals and their place in the saga 1920s and 1930s, his experiences in France and Commissioned to commemorate the struggle for of African American art. Published by the High later in Mexico, where he worked with the great racial harmony and the 1867 founding of Talladega Museum, it sells for $45, hardcover. Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, helped prepare College, the murals have been continuously on After closing in Washington, the exhibition will him to create the Talladega murals. view in the college’s Savery Library since 1939. tour to Birmingham Museum of Art (June Samples of other paintings by Woodruff document Viewed by relatively few people because of their 13–September 6) and Nelson-Atkins Museum of the high quality of his oeuvre, and how he out-of-the-way site, the grand panels will now be Art (September 25–January 10, 2016). addressed the struggle of blacks for equality and shared with and appreciated by a national audi- Seventy-five years after they were painted, the freedom. ence. Talladega murals remain vivid reminders of the “Rising Up” is organized by the High Museum of Comprising six monumental canvases — totaling struggle for human justice and brotherhood — a Art in collaboration with Talladega College, the approximately 6 by 82 feet — arranged in two journey not yet complete. oldest historically black college in Alabama. The cycles of three, the murals are colorful, animated, The National Museum of American History is on show is co-curated at NMAH by Jaquelyn Serwer, evocative and compelling. The first cycle depicts the National Mall at 14th Street and Constitution chief curator at Smithsonian’s National Museum of the hand-to-hand combat of the bloody mutiny on Avenue N.W. For information, http://nmaahc.si.edu African American History and Culture, and Rhea the slave ship Amistad in 1839; the dramatic trial or 202-633-1000.