Angola’s Dreams Grasp Finger Tips

Emilio Cruz, Angola's Dreams Grasp Finger Tips, 1973, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.20
Copied Emilio Cruz, Angola's Dreams Grasp Finger Tips, 1973, acrylic on canvas, 84 1⁄8 x 84 in. (213.7 x 213.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection, 1980.137.20

Artwork Details

Title
Angola’s Dreams Grasp Finger Tips
Artist
Date
1973
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
84 1⁄8 x 84 in. (213.7 x 213.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, Martha Jackson Memorial Collection
Mediums
Mediums Description
acrylic on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Abstract
Object Number
1980.137.20
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.137.20

Artwork Description

Angola’s Dreams was inspired by Cruz’s sympathy for two Angolan men he met in Rome who had spent their lives trying to secure support for the country’s struggle for freedom from Portugal. In Cruz’s words, “these two bedraggled spirits were perhaps the most intense individuals I have ever met. Neither one could speak English so we communicated with Spanish mixed with Italian, perhaps at times assimilating Portuguese…Our souls touched and I understood the life that blooms when people have dedicated their lives to what they believe to be a just cause.”


African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012