Category: Stories You Might Like

The Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of African American art provides a rich introduction to over 100 years of noted achievements in painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Ranging chronologically from the Civil War era to the Harlem Renaissance and from the civil-rights struggles following World War II to the contemporary period, these works constitute a dynamic …

Continue reading “The Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of African American art”

  Cousin-on-Friday, 1935 Maple 6 ¾ x 5 ¾ x 9 ¼ inches Gift of the Honorable and Mrs. Alexander W. Weddell, 44.2.1 I’ve always felt like I needed to use my hands creatively. I started cutting human figures out of paper, but I felt like I needed to more substance and resistance, so I started …

Continue reading “Leslie Garland Bolling 1898 – 1955”

Pair of busts: Booker T. Washington, 1928, and Paul Laurence Dunbar, 1928 Painted plaster 20 x 8 1/4 x 9 5/8 and 18 x 7 3/4 x 9 Lent by a Private Collector, L.59.2010, L.60.2010 I’m an Old Soul who has been an artist in this life and all my previous ones, too. When I was a …

Continue reading “Richmond Barthé (American, 1909 – 1989)”

a3 blackface #59, 2003 Acrylic on paper 50 x 38 inches Museum purchase, with funds contributed by Dr. and Mrs. Lindley T. Smith, 2004.6 Back in 1997, I read an article written by Joe Wood that introduced me to a group of Japanese youth called ganguro, who darkened their skin and paid top dollar to have …

Continue reading “Iona Rozeal Brown”

Romare Bearden was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. His family moved to Harlem, New York when he was very young. Bearden graduated from New York University in 1935 with a BS in Mathematics. Although he later studied art history and philosophy in Paris, Bearden never received a degree in Fine Art. He was active in …

Continue reading “Recollection Pond (1975) – Aubusson Weave Wool Tapestry, 5.1′ x 6.7′”

Born on September 2, 1911 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Romare Bearden was a multi-talented artist and one of America’s foremost collagists.  Bearden’s family moved to New York City in 1914 in an attempt to distance themselves from Jim Crow’s “separate but equal” laws. Bearden initially studied at Lincoln University but transferred to Boston University where …

Continue reading “One Night Stand by Romare Bearden”

Romare Bearden was born in 1911 in Charlotte, N.C. Romare Bearden lived at various times in Saskatchewan and Pittsburgh. Bearden attended Boston University and New York University. Later, he studied with the German expatriate George Grosz at the Art Students’ League. His first job, in 1938, was as a caseworker with the New York City …

Continue reading “Card Players Romare Beardan, 1982”

Romare Howard Bearden was born on September 2, 1911, to (Richard) Howard and Bessye Bearden in Charlotte, North Carolina, and died in New York City on March 12, 1988, at the age of 76. His life and art are marked by exceptional talent, encompassing a broad range of intellectual and scholarly interests, including music, performing …

Continue reading “Morning of Red Bird by Romare Bearden, 1975.”

Romare Bearden’s life was full of movement. Born in 1912 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden’s family moved shortly thereafter to Harlem where their apartment was a popular meeting place for intellectuals and artists such as W.E.B. DuBois, Aaron Douglas, and Charles Alston during the Renaissance. In 1925, Bearden moved to Pittsburgh where he eventually graduated …

Continue reading “In a Green Shade, by Romare Bearden 1984. Collage and watercolor on board, 30 x 22 in.”

Landscape painting has always informed my eye about the natural patterns of light and dark, warm and cool, and balance of composition. These elements, found in all painting, are abundantly available for the artist to see in the world around us. Some artists are interested in recording exactly what they see, while others unpack the …

Continue reading “Landscapes by Robert Freeman”

portraits Robert Freeman has extensive experience in painting formal portraits that grace corporate and university boardrooms, as well as more personal portraits of family members. To inquire about commissioning a portrait, please contact us.