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Maker (American, 1925 - 2009)
Date1987
MediumAcrylic on canvas
Dimensions90 x 114 in. (228.6 x 289.6 cm)
Credit LineGift of Elisabeth and William Landes
Object number1998.14
Status
Not on view
Description

Active for decades in the San Francisco Bay Area, the African-American painter Robert Colescott came to international prominence only recently when he represented the United States in the 1997 Venice Biennale. This large, classic canvas from the 1987 exemplifies Colescott’s raucous figurative style—with its boldly gestural handling of paint and vibrant coloration—and caustically ribald commentary on issues of race and sex in contemporary American society.


Colescott’s painting style reflects a wide-ranging set of influences and personal experiences, from childhood memories of Diego Rivera working on a mural at the 1938 International Exposition in San Francisco, to his art school training in Paris with Fernand Léger, and a sojourn to Egypt where he was impressed by the ancient narrative art tradition.

Red Faces Series
Robert Natkin
1930 - 1981
Dream of the Printseller
Warrington W. Colescott
1970
The Naked Dance
Warrington W. Colescott
1948
Calling on the Past
Amir H. Fallah
2018
Tattooed Weight Lifter
Pauline Simon
1973
Messages
Gerald Williams
1970
Picnic
Genieve Figgis
2020
There are Countless Rooms
Philip Hanson
1971
Tondo
Jack Youngerman
1964
Cathedral Edge
Allan Dave Hacklin
1969
First Dooja
Jules Olitski
1974