Head of Dr. W.E.B. Dubois

Copied William Zorach, Head of Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, 1956, cast plaster on plaster base, 12 5⁄8 x 8 5⁄8 x 9 1⁄4 in. (32.1 x 21.9 x 23.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, 1968.154.141

Artwork Details

Title
Head of Dr. W.E.B. Dubois
Artist
Date
1956
Location
Dimensions
12 5⁄8 x 8 5⁄8 x 9 1⁄4 in. (32.1 x 21.9 x 23.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Tessim Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast plaster on plaster base
Classifications
Keywords
  • African American
  • Occupation — writer — author
  • Portrait male — DuBois, W.E.B. — head
Object Number
1968.154.141
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1968.154.141

Artwork Description

William Zorach modeled this portrait of W. E. B. DuBois from life and presented it to the Schomburg Collection on DuBois’ ninety-second birthday. DuBois was the first African American to earn a PhD from Harvard. A powerful black leader in the early twentieth century, he cofounded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As an author and educator, he played a significant role in the Harlem Renaissance, a period in which African American artists confronted race, discrimination, and identity through their works. Zorach, who lived in the same neighborhood as DuBois, greatly admired his positive impact on African American culture and felt that there should be “a record of this fine gentleman and scholar.”