Created by
Thompson, Mildred Jean, American, 1936 - 2003
Subject of
Unidentified Woman or Women
Unidentified Man or Men
Date
1963
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W: 18 × 24 in. (45.7 × 61 cm)
Caption
In her 1892 publication, Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All of Its Phases, civil rights activist Ida B. Wells described the insidious nature of sexual and mob violence perpetrated against Black women throughout the South. Wells recounted in disturbing detail the horrific instances where Black women were stripped naked, raped by one or multiple white men, hanged, and mutilated. Between 1880 and 1930, over 130 African American women were murdered by lynch mobs; countless others were sexually assaulted without legal recourse. Although Wells’s organization, and many other African American women and women’s groups, fought to obtain justice, the sheer number of Black women who were victimized and killed through mob violence was too often overlooked.
With this powerful work, Mildred Thompson directly depicts this history in all its horror.
Description
This is a pen and ink drawing depicting a scene in which male figures assault a Black female figure. The human bodies and faces are distorted and misshapen, with multiple The five male figures, their bodies and faces rendered in distorted and misshapen forms, are nude except for Western-style heeled boots and hats with center badges of the type worn by sheriffs or other law enforcement. They surround the female figure, grasping her arms and legs. The drawing is signed and dated [Mildred Thompson Nov. 1963 New York] in the lower left corner.
Classification
Visual Arts
Type
drawings
Topic
American South
Art
Gender
Hate crimes
Lynching
Men
Race discrimination
Race relations
Violence
White supremacy movements
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2020.57.1
Restrictions & Rights
© Mildred Thompson Estate
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd518635f68-b567-4647-bd35-a83a9428bafc

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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