African American Artists
In the past 200 years there have been too many great African American artists to try and name them all. However, for anyone who’s not familiar with African American art, I would like to take a moment and introduce you to a few of the most notable artists that I have studied.
Romare Bearden (1914-1988) – Spent most of his life in New York City, NY and developed a reputation as one of the greatest modern African American artists through his paintings which varied in style from a social realist, a cubist, an abstract expressionist and a collagist, for which he is probably best known.
Aaron Douglas (1899-1979) – Gained notoriety as one of the most influential artists during the Harlem Renaissance with his mural paintings in libraries and other public buildings and his amazing classical portraits. He later became the head of the Art Department of Fisk University, where he served for nearly 30 years helping to influence many up and coming artists.
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) – never truly found success as an artist while living in the United States, though he worked as both a painter and portrait photographer in Atlanta and Philadelphia. However, he would go on to receive much recognition and win many awards after moving to Paris.
To find out more about these three artists or learn about other great African American artists, visit America Beautiful.
