Afro Emblems

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Copied Hale Woodruff, Afro Emblems, 1950, oil on linen, 18 x 22 in. (45.7 x 55.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred T. Morris, Jr., 1984.149.2

Artwork Details

Title
Afro Emblems
Artist
Date
1950
Location
Dimensions
18 x 22 in. (45.7 x 55.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred T. Morris, Jr.
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on linen
Classifications
Keywords
  • Abstract
Object Number
1984.149.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1984.149.2

Artwork Description

In Woodruff’s Afro Emblems, objects hovering in a field of blue speak of ancient times and people. Their forms – some calligraphic, others geometric – are loosely arranged into vertical columns, stacked as though on totem poles that record the history and oral traditions of a culture. Influenced by cave paintings, Egyptian tomb reliefs, pre-Columbian pottery, Melanesian totems, and African art, Woodruff makes a statement about the resonance of values, traditions, and spiritual beliefs among people from around the world and across time.



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

Hale Woodruff first grew interested in African art in the 1920s, when an art dealer gave him a German book on the subject. He couldn’t read the text, but enjoyed looking at the images; on a trip to Europe a few years later he bought African sculpture for a collection of his own (Hale Woodruff, 50 Years of His Art, Exhibition Catalogue, 1979). For this painting, he divided the canvas into rough rectangles, then filled each shape with an emblem inspired by Ashanti gold weights. These were used in traditional Ashanti culture to measure the weight of gold dust and were decorated with illustrations of folktales, proverbs, and social rituals. The bold black outlines and dashes of color stand out from the blue background, creating an abstract pattern that reflects the artist’s African heritage.