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    Still Life with Roses

    Created by
    Porter, Charles Ethan, American, 1847 - 1923
    Date
    ca. 1885-87
    Medium
    oil paint on linen (material)
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (Framed Painting): 16 × 22 1/4 × 2 1/2 in. (40.6 × 56.5 × 6.4 cm)
    H x W x D (Unframed Painting): 10 × 16 × 1/2 in. (25.4 × 40.6 × 1.3 cm)
    H x W x D (Crate): 24 1/2 × 31 1/2 × 10 in. (62.2 × 80 × 25.4 cm)
    Description
    This oil painting depicts a bouquet of off-white roses and greenery in a brown bowl. The round bowl, done in deep brown tones, stands to the right side of the picture. In the bowl are five blooms and several sprays of greenery. Several other blossoms, a sprig of greenery and a long stem lie scattered around the bowl. Peeking from behind the bowl are a pile of darker green leaves and a cluster of bright red berries. Hanging on the left hand background wall is a textile with a yellow, red, and white plaid pattern.
    Place made
    New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Men
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Object number
    2014.42.1
    Restrictions & Rights
    Public Domain
    Usage
    CC0
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd58bef3c1e-e791-4f71-bf4d-f1fa44619fb1
  • The Big Egg

    Created by
    Clark, Ed, American, 1926 - 2019
    Date
    1968
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    mixed media on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W: 64 1/4 × 81 1/2 in. (163.2 × 207 cm)
    Description
    Oval-shaped abstract mixed media painting with large horizontal brush strokes and three fields of color. The canvas, shaped like a horizontal ellipse, is covered by three main fields of color: orange-red, at top, blue-green in the middle, and pink at bottom. There is a single streak of white partway across the orange field. Encroaching onto the orange field is a spray and spatter of blue-green paint. There is a darker orange shadow behind the spray. The blue-green field brightens gradually to a more blue-based color as it nears the bottom. At the very bottom of the painting is a narrow streak of pink.
    Place made
    Vétheuil, Val-d'Oise, France, Europe
    Portfolio/Series
    Vétheuil Series
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    acrylic paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Men
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Object number
    2013.125abc
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Ed Clark
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ba1e3981-cb3e-4afb-865d-b093ee550a45
  • Girl in Red Dress

    Created by
    Waring, Laura Wheeler, American, 1887 - 1948
    Subject of
    Unidentified Woman or Women
    Date
    ca. 1935
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    oil on museum board
    Dimensions
    H x W (unframed): 18 × 14 in. (45.7 × 35.6 cm)
    H x W x D (frame): 23 5/8 × 19 11/16 × 1 3/4 in. (60 × 50 × 4.5 cm)
    Description
    This oil painting depicts a young woman in a red off-the-shoulder dress. Wearing long red fingerless gloves, a large black ring, an earring and makeup, she sits with one knee drawn up to her chest. Her clasped hands rest on her raised knee. Although she faces the viewer, her gaze is lowered, her head slightly bent forward. Her dark, wavy hair, parted on the left, hangs to her shoulders. The painting is signed by the artist and has a gallery label affixed to the back.
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    portraits
    Topic
    Art
    Women
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Object number
    2013.18
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Laura Wheeler Waring. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5d0aeab3e-c7c7-40cc-a245-15b08efc8fc9
  • Grand Dame Queenie

    Created by
    Sherald, Amy, American, born 1973
    Date
    2012
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    oil on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W (unframed): 54 1/8 × 43 × 2 1/2 in. (137.5 × 109.2 × 6.4 cm)
    Description
    Oil painting that depicts a three-quarter length portrait of a woman with closely cropped hair holding a teacup and saucer decorated with a profile silhouette of a woman’s face. The cup and saucer is white with gold edging. There is a gold wreath around the silhouette. The woman is wearing a high necked red blouse that is tied at the neck with a bright yellow scarf. The long sleeves have ruffles at the cuffs. The shirt is tucked into black and white striped pants with a yellow button. The background fades from a bright blue at the top to bright purple at the bottom. Bright fuchsia splashes are scattered throughout the background. The woman gazes directly at the viewer.
    Place made
    Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    portraits
    Topic
    Art
    Gender
    Identity
    LGBTQ
    Sexuality
    Women
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Object number
    2013.20
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Amy Sherald
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd559d102b2-7b2b-4191-b686-b3773c7dcd24
  • Ghana Women Dancing

    Created by
    Biggers, John, American, 1924 - 2001
    Date
    1968
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    oil and acrylic paint and chalk on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (frame): 43 1/8 × 37 1/16 × 1 9/16 in. (109.5 × 94.2 × 4 cm)
    H x W (unframed): 35 15/16 × 29 15/16 in. (91.3 × 76 cm)
    Description
    This is an oil painting of two dancing women. The women wear duku head ties, blouses, and floor-length skirts. The figure on the left has a skirt that wraps around her, with abstract color patterns in yellow and red tones. She wears a blue sleeveless blouse with a white pattern and an off-white head tie with yellow and red highlights. The woman stands with her body facing the viewer, head bent towards her left and bending forward from the waist. The woman next to her stands with her back to the viewer, wearing an off-white wrap skirt and blue short sleeve blouse with light blue pattern. She bends forward slightly from the waist, her left foot visible beneath her skirt. Behind them is a large green moon against a dark blue sky with white stars and constellations in the background.
    Place made
    Houston, Harris County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
    Cultural Place
    Ghana, West Africa, Africa
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    Africa
    African diaspora
    Art
    Dance
    Women
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gerald and Anita Smith
    Object number
    2012.162.1
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Estate of John Biggers. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5402828d5-3bfa-4436-be1b-396157c00fa9
  • Old Man

    Created by
    Biggers, John, American, 1924 - 2001
    Date
    1946
    Medium
    oil on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (frame): 51 1/2 × 20 1/2 × 2 3/4 in. (130.8 × 52.1 × 7 cm)
    H x W (unframed): 46 7/8 × 24 5/8 × 1 in. (119 × 62.5 × 2.5 cm)
    Description
    This is an oil painting depicting the figure of an old man. Wearing a long black coat and a narrow brimmed brown hat, he has shoulder length white hair. He holds a stick or cane with his right hand out in front of him and carries a wrinkled paper bag in his left hand. In the background are wooden structures. Made of wooden boards, they have peaked single roofs and tilt slightly. A partial window is visible behind the figure's left shoulder. The ground is represented by undulating waves in brownish-purple that flow under the figure's feet. The painting is signed by the artist in the lower left corner "Bigger 6-46."
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Communities
    Men
    Poverty
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gerald and Anita Smith
    Object number
    2012.162.2
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Estate of John Biggers. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd590c39f56-f3b7-4e27-b619-034fe63e5105
  • Black Jesus

    Created by
    Hunter, Clementine, American, ca. 1886 - 1988
    Date
    ca. 1985
    Medium
    oil or acrylic paint on canvas board
    Dimensions
    H x W (unframed): 14 × 11 in. (35.6 × 27.9 cm)
    H x W x D (framed): 16 7/16 × 13 7/16 × 2 5/16 in. (41.8 × 34.1 × 5.9 cm)
    Description
    This oil painting depicts a human figure with arms extended horizontally. The figure wears a long loose dark red/brown robe that flares outward towards the hem. The figure's head, an oval with two white spots for eyes as the only defined features, has short lines radiating outward from the scalp. There are two small round red spots over the figure's chest. At the ends of each horizontal arm is a larger oblong of paint. Each oblong has a streak of red trickling from the center. At the bottom of the figure are two short triangular brush strokes. Each triangular shape has a red streak running through the middle. To the right of the figure are two short vertical lines crossed by three horizontal short lines. They are done in a dark reddish-brown color. Pencil lines are visible underneath the brush strokes. There is a dark grey blue line of color across the top of the painting, and a green line across the bottom.
    Place made
    Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Religion
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Henley A. Hunter, Kathey N. Hunter, and Anne Kathryn Hunter
    Object number
    2012.168
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Cane River Art Corporation
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd55b5286a4-03d2-4c48-9a8e-56f2db300547
  • Arty (Centerpiece)

    Created by
    Stevens, Nelson, American, born 1938
    Subject of
    Turner Crawford, Arlene, American
    AfriCOBRA, founded 1968
    Date
    1970
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    acrylic paint on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W x D: 50 × 50 × 2 in. (127 × 127 × 5.1 cm)
    Description
    This is an abstract acrylic painting depicting a woman from the neck up. Done in a color palette of red, orange, blue, and purple, the woman's form is made up of clusters of rounded and abstract pools of color. Viewed slightly from below, she faces forward and gazes upward.
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Movement
    BAM (Black Arts Movement 1965-1976)
    Type
    acrylic paintings
    portraits
    Topic
    Activism
    Art
    Identity
    Professional organizations
    Religion
    Women
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Object number
    2016.73
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Nelson Stevens. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd591fce4d5-cf44-40ac-90f9-618341612a89
  • SWANstudy #2 (for Aretemisia)

    Created by
    Rozeal, American, born 1966
    Date
    2012
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    acrylic paint, ink and graphite on wood panel
    Dimensions
    H x W x D: 72 × 60 × 2 in. (182.9 × 152.4 × 5.1 cm)
    H x W x D (Crate): 80 × 68 1/2 × 9 3/4 in. (203.2 × 174 × 24.8 cm)
    Caption
    Rozeal’s work has been referred to as a visual mash-up that juxtaposes elements of Japanese art and culture with African American hip hop pictures and fashion. Brown creates her figures by combining traditional Japanese characters and ukiyo-e printmaking with contemporary hip hop style and imagery. She has termed her ongoing project A3…Afro-Asiatic Allegory after discovering the Ganguro subculture born in the mid-1990’s among female Japanese teenagers.
    Rozeal has incorporated many cultural references into this painting. The figure’s hairdo mimics the braids and dreads so popular amongst black teenagers and hip hop enthusiasts of varying backgrounds. The scarab, traditionally an Egyptian amulet in the shape of a beetle, hanging from the pearl necklace, has long been a popular jewelry item and good luck charm, sometimes interpreted as a symbol “of rebirth or regeneration.”
    The dedication to Aretemisia may refer to Italian Baroque artist, Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c. 1656). Although Artemisia was a great sartist, she was also known for the court trial in which her accused rapist was successfully prosecuted. Brown’s young woman seems fearless as well—confident in her wardrobe and self-presentation.
    The title, SWANstudy, may reference the Greek myth of Leda and the swan.
    Rozeal’s lavishly adorned woman draws together many elements that make this image so rich—the excess and folly of the young, the homage to intersecting traditions, and the universal irresistibility of pop culture. It serves as a handy demonstration of the myriad connections to African American culture found around the world.
    A recurring character in Rozeal's work is Yoshi, a wise female war hero—sporting an afro and classical Japanese garb—whose enlightened state allows her to exist as a communicant between divinities and mortals, guiding those still on earth.
    The artist's paintings have been widely exhibited, and she received a solo show at Cleveland's Museum of Contemporary Art in 2010. In 2011 she was commissioned to create a performance for the Performa biennial.
    Description
    This stylized figurative painting, reminiscent of a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print, features a female figure with vivid blue hair holding a string of pearls in her teeth. The woman's head tilts to her left. Her long, braided hair is gathered into a twist at her neck, and heavy bangs frame her face. A single braid runs down the left side of her face, through a large hoop earring in her right ear, and down to her leg. The necklace hanging from her mouth features a large blue scarab affixed at the bottom of the loop. Her right shoulder is covered with a red cloth, and her left shoulder is draped by an abstracted white fur garment that wraps around to her right, behind the red cloth. Part of the woman's face and torso are a dark brown, with a thick set edge implying a mask or garment. Her pale skin is painted or tattooed in a blue pattern around her shoulder, arm and breast. At the lower edge of the painting, the hilt of a Japanese katana-type sword is visible, topped with a tsuba, or a guard that is placed at the end of the sword grip. The edges and many details of the painting are outlined in black ink to heighten the evocation of an etched print. The entire top edge, and left and right borders, of the front panel of the panel are trimmed in red. Across the panel, there are carefully spaced and controlled drips of paint running both vertically, such as across the woman's face and torso, and horizontally, near the sword grip. The sides of the panel are painted the same teal blue as in the woman's hair.
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    acrylic paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Hair
    Women
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Carl and Shirley Schwartz
    Object number
    2016.79
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Iona Rozeal Brown. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd549911bdd-a7f1-4fd8-9ab1-b0f22fb4ea40
  • Spring--Delightful Flower Bed

    Created by
    Alma Thomas, American, 1891 - 1978
    Date
    1967
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    oil on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W x D: 37 1/4 × 37 1/4 × 2 3/8 in. (94.6 × 94.6 × 6 cm)
    Description
    This is an abstract and colorful mosaic-style painting with concentric circles filling a square space with a light green background. Each circle is composed of rectangular shapes of similar color and size, but each circle varies in color and width.
    Place made
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Local and regional
    Nature
    Resistance
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of William J. and Brenda L. Galloway and Family
    Object number
    2015.151
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Charles Thomas Lewis
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5b06433a4-e9f4-4f06-8e52-66e19141aa06
  • The Argument

    Created by
    Motley, Archibald John Jr., American, 1891 - 1981
    Owned by
    Barnett-Aden Gallery, American, 1943 - 1969
    Date
    1940
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    oil on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W: 40 × 30 in. (101.6 × 76.2 cm)
    Description
    This oil painting depicts a street scene with a group of men arguing. In the painting's foreground are five men standing in a rough circle. Two men have their backs to the viewer, one tall thin figure wearing a grey suit and fedora. He carries a cigarette in his left hand, held behind his back. The second man is short, fat, and wears a light colored shirt and dark blue pants. He is balding and has his hands on his hips. He faces three taller men. The tallest wears a brown bowler hat over one eye and red tie with a dark blue suit. He stands with his legs spread and has a cigarette in his open mouth. Next to him is a man in a light colored suit with a flat blue cap. He holds a smoking cigarette in front of his face with his right hand. The third man wears a dark blue suit and flat cap. He leans against the wall behind him and gestures with his right hand. Slightly in front of him is an overflowing can of garbage. Slightly behind the group of men to the left is another man with his head tilted upwards, drinking from a flask. Above the men is an open window in the brick building behind them. A woman in a green sleeveless dress sits at the window, right hand on the sill, left hand touching her hair. Her head is turned downwards towards the men. Beyond the brick building is a small green yard with a laundry line. A woman in a red dress and white apron is hanging white sheets on the line. She looks over her shoulder at the group of men. Beyond the laundry line is a small house with a porch. A man in a white shirt and dark pants stands on the porch, leaning forward on the railings. It is signed and dated by the artist.
    Place depicted
    Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Communities
    Men
    Stereotypes
    Urban life
    Women
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Robert L. Johnson
    Object number
    2015.2.5
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Valerie Gerrard Browne. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd52f1359a5-18f5-4ed3-9413-76e537e1c943
  • Remembering Ummah

    Created by
    Dexter, Norman F.
    Subject of
    J Dilla, American, 1974 - 2006
    Date
    2006 - 2012
    Medium
    oil paint on canvas with stones
    Dimensions
    H x W: 48 × 36 in. (121.9 × 91.4 cm)
    Description
    An unframed painted portrait of J Dilla by Norman F. Dexter AKA SelahVision Soul of the Brush. The painting features an image of Dilla wearing a white shirt, black cap, and gold necklace with stones embedded in the painted surface. White doves appear behind him in a sky painted in tones of red and gold. A cityscape is in the lower foreground.
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    paintings
    portraits
    Topic
    Art
    Hip hop (Music)
    Musicians
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Norman F. Dexter AKA Selah - Soul of the Brush
    Object number
    2015.265
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Norman F. Dexter, aka. Selah - Soul of the Brush
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd591af464d-1d57-4c4e-86aa-8d7659d290ee
  • Haitian Street Scene

    Created by
    Douglas, Aaron, American, 1899 - 1979
    Date
    1938
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    oil on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (Framed): 25 3/4 × 27 5/8 × 1 3/4 in. (65.4 × 70.2 × 4.4 cm)
    H x W (Unframed): 18 1/8 × 20 1/4 in. (46 × 51.4 cm)
    Description
    An oil on canvas painting by Aaron Douglas depicting a street scene in Haiti. In the foreground, three (3) women are depicted, all traveling from right to left. The two women at proper right are walking, and the third woman at center is traveling on a donkey or burro. The woman on the donkey is wearing a light blue dress and cream colored hat, and is sitting on top of a cloth or a sack. Both of the women traveling on foot are wearing dresses, with brightly colored headscarves topped with baskets balanced on their heads. At proper left, a man is emerging from an alley, wearing a light blue suit with cream colored hat. Behind the figures are colorful buildings bathed in dappled sunlight, a glimpse of colorful blue sky and puffy clouds visible in the background. At proper left there is a large building painted yellow with colorful trim around the windows, at center a garage with teal blue doors, and at proper right a stone wall with a large pine tree with gracefully drooping branches behind. The painting is signed at the lower-right corner [A. Douglas].
    Place made
    Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    paintings
    Topic
    African diaspora
    Art
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Melvin Holmes Collection of African American Art
    Object number
    2015.267
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Aaron Douglas Foundation//Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS). Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5a14099b6-cc63-4b2e-b02b-abc48a917eb1
  • Red Beans and Rice Fleur de Lis

    Created by
    Francis, Myesha, American
    Date
    2010
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 050
    Exhibition
    Cultural Expressions
    Medium
    canvas , pigment , bean
    Dimensions
    24 × 18 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. (61 × 46 × 3.8 cm)
    Description
    Painting of a fleur-de-lis made of red beans and rice. The fleur-de-lis is featured in the center, on a multi-colored background. The fleur-de-lis is bordered in red beans with rice filling the inside. In the center is a small circle of red beans. The background of the painting is red in the top half with a dark yellow along the bottom half with detailing around the fleur-de-lis.
    Place made
    New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
    Cultural Place
    Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
    West Africa, Africa
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Colonialism
    Foodways
    French colonialism
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Object number
    2015.33
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Myesha Francis-Agwe. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5481af20a-fb62-49fc-93a8-d66e3c625523
  • But I'm Still Fly

    Created by
    Dr. Pecou, Fahamu, American, born 1975
    Date
    2014
    On View
    Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
    Exhibition
    Visual Art and the American Experience
    Medium
    acrylic paint , copper and zinc on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W x D: 120 × 60 × 2 in. (304.8 × 152.4 × 5.1 cm)
    Description
    An acrylic painting on canvas with copper and zinc leaf. The painting depicts the lower torso and legs of a young man jumping upward. His torso and arms, mostly out of frame, are bare. He is wearing several overlapping pairs of underwear, jeans that sag to mid-thigh, and green high top shoes. The man's right hand is holding up his jeans, and his left arm is lowered by his side in a fist. Gold leaf sheets applied to the canvas surround the figure, and two (2) sheets of gold leaf are burnished on the man's figure at his hip. The gold leaf extends to cover the edges of the canvas.
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    acrylic paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Fashion
    Identity
    Men
    Resistance
    Youth
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Object number
    2015.69
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Fahamu Pecou. Permission required for use.
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5f1a0c518-6369-41d7-8a8e-947e670f48c3
  • Hoeing Corn

    Attributed to
    Hunter, Clementine, American, ca. 1886 - 1988
    Subject of
    Melrose Plantation, American, founded 1832
    Date
    1950s
    Medium
    oil paint on fiberboard
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (Framed): 24 × 31 3/4 × 1 3/8 in. (61 × 80.7 × 3.5 cm)
    H x W x D (Unframed): 16 1/8 × 23 7/8 × 3/16 in. (41 × 60.6 × 0.4 cm)
    Description
    An oil painting depicting workers hoeing corn in rural Louisiana. At the top of the painting is a band of blue sky. Below the sky are two horizontal rows of people hoeing corn. In the top row, there are four people in between tasseled corn plants. The first figure, at left, faces right and is pushing a hand-held plow. The following three people are facing left, each holding hoes, and all are wearing hats and some wear aprons. In the second row are five people interspersed between tasseled corn plants. The first figure, at left, appears to be female. She faces right, and she is holding a container in her left hand and has a pouch on her right hip. The next two people are wearing hats and holding hoes. The fourth person is wearing a white hat and is bending over to the ground. The final person is facing to the left and pushing a hand-held plow. Behind the figures and corn plants, the background is painted in broad white brushstrokes. The painting is signed "CH" at the lower right.
    Place depicted
    Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    Agriculture
    American South
    Art
    Rural life
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Rand and Dana Jack family, in honor of Rand's grandmother, Blythe Rand, who early recognized and supported the special talents of Clementine Hunter
    Object number
    2014.176.4
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Cane River Art Corporation
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd53eed9a01-2ed2-4fb6-a6e9-325d85a485fc
  • Baptizing with Lady in Orange Dress

    Attributed to
    Hunter, Clementine, American, ca. 1886 - 1988
    Subject of
    Melrose Plantation, American, founded 1832
    Date
    1960s
    Medium
    oil paint on fiberboard
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (painting): 16 × 24 × 1/4 in. (40.6 × 61 × 0.6 cm)
    H x W (framed): 22 × 33 1/2 in. (55.9 × 85.1 cm)
    Description
    An oil painting depicting a scene of pastoral life in Louisiana. A white church with green-trimmed doors and windows is featured prominently in the center of the canvas. The area behind the church is interspersed with trees, and the sky behind the church and trees is a variegation of blue, white and rose colors in broad, horizontal brushstrokes. A procession of figures walk along a prominent diagonal line leading from the church steps to the lower left-hand corner of the painting. At the head of the procession are two figures in black robes, wearing black head coverings and white collars. Behind them are five smaller figures dressed in white dresses and veils. Under the church and the procession of figures is a broad line of brown paint, separating this scene from another scene in the lower right-hand corner. In the lower scene, a woman is featured prominently at lower-center, wearing a vivid orange dress and a black hat with flowers. She is kneeling, hands clasped, next to a body of water. Two figures in black robes and head coverings and white collars are shown waist-deep in the water, holding between them a person wearing a white dress and veil. The painting is signed "CH" (but with the "C" reversed) at the bottom right, above the figures in the water.
    Place depicted
    Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    American South
    Art
    Religion
    Rural life
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Rand and Dana Jack family, in honor of Rand's grandmother, Blythe Rand, who early recognized and supported the special talents of Clementine Hunter
    Object number
    2014.176.5
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Cane River Art Corporation
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ff41848c-06f0-461b-a247-4a21148b4f27
  • Washday

    Attributed to
    Hunter, Clementine, American, ca. 1886 - 1988
    Subject of
    Melrose Plantation, American, founded 1832
    Date
    1950s
    Medium
    oil paint on fiberboard
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (painting): 23 15/16 × 23 15/16 × 1/4 in. (60.8 × 60.8 × 0.6 cm)
    H x W (framed): 29 15/16 × 31 7/16 in. (76 × 79.9 cm)
    Description
    An oil painting depicting a washday scene in rural Louisiana. At the top of the painting, swaths of blue, white, grey and pink depict a partially cloudy sky. At upper-center right is a green house with a red door, red-trimmed windows, a red central chimney, and a smaller black angled chimney at the right of the roof from which smoke emerges. There are three descending diagonal lines of images across the left of the painting. The top diagonal is a line of three green-topped trees. A man sits leaning against the trunk of the central tree, holding a red object to his mouth. The next diagonal is a woman, wearing a red dress and white apron, hanging sheets and clothes on a green clothesline. To the right of the clothesline, at the center of the painting, a woman wearing a blue dress and white apron sits in a red chair. She is holding what appears to be a baby dressed in yellow. The next diagonal is another, smaller clothesline on which a pair of red socks and other blue and yellow items are hung. Across the bottom edge of the painting, almost horizontal, is a row of figures. At left is a man wearing a red hat, scarf, green shirt and black trousers wheeling a red wheelbarrow that contains a yellow sack. Next is a woman wearing a green hat, blue dress and white apron, washing clothes. Next is a woman wearing a white hat, yellow dress and white apron, heading towards a short path that leads to a large black cauldon. Last is a green tree, on the other side of which is a woman wearing a blue hat, green dress and white apron, washing clothes. The painting is signed "CH" at lower right.
    Place depicted
    Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    American South
    Art
    Domestic life
    Rural life
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Rand and Dana Jack family, in honor of Rand's grandmother, Blythe Rand, who early recognized and supported the special talents of Clementine Hunter
    Object number
    2014.176.7
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Cane River Art Corporation
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd54c0b2853-a65e-4b52-91d1-576da341850f
  • Suddenly It's Spring

    Created by
    Alma Thomas, American, 1891 - 1978
    Date
    1970
    Medium
    Painting: acrylic on canvas
    Dimensions
    H x W x D: 38 × 42 1/2 × 1 3/8 in. (96.5 × 108 × 3.5 cm)
    Description
    Painting by Alma Thomas. The work is composed of small, single color blocks fit closely together, but with white space in between, like a mosaic. The colors are primarily shades of blue, with patches of yellow, red, pink, purple, and green. Medium shades of blue dominate the center, spreading out to the four corners of the canvas. At the bottom center is a small, slightly curved swath of pink and red. In the top right corner is a semi-circle of yellow and orange, with tendrils of pink and red mosaic blocks extending vertically into the blue center. Along the left side and extending horizontally into the center are blocks of green, purple and red. The work is signed and dated by the artist in the lower right corner.
    Place made
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    paintings
    Topic
    Art
    Nature
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Joan Willis Holton
    Object number
    2017.24
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Charles Thomas Lewis
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5321c39fe-54db-4a94-8aa7-c72845b9ad60
  • Untitled (Wedding)

    Created by
    Hunter, Clementine, American, ca. 1886 - 1988
    Subject of
    Unidentified Man or Men
    Unidentified Woman or Women
    Date
    ca. 1970
    Medium
    oil paint on paperboard
    Dimensions
    H x W x D (painting): 7 5/8 × 7 1/4 × 1/4 in. (19.4 × 18.4 × 0.6 cm)
    H x W (framed): 13 5/8 × 14 3/4 in. (34.6 × 37.5 cm)
    Description
    This painting depicts a wedding. A bride and groom stand in the center of the image. The bride is wearing a white gown and veil, with red flowers. The groom is in all black with a white and red flower boutonniere. A third individual stands on the right side of the image, facing the bride and groom. He holds a Bible in his upraised right hand. On the left side of the image is a large white wedding cake. Green and red decorations festoon the walls. The artist has signed her initials in the bottom right corner. The 'C' in 'CH' is written backward.
    Place made
    Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
    Classification
    Visual Arts
    Type
    oil paintings
    Topic
    American South
    Art
    Domestic life
    Families
    Folklife
    Marriage customs and rites
    Rural life
    Credit Line
    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Collection of Sabra Brown Martin
    Object number
    2017.68.10
    Restrictions & Rights
    © Cane River Art Corporation
    Usage
    Usage conditions apply
    GUID
    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5e9b9862e-9f60-40bc-9e36-b2ecdd4b98ff

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