Village Square

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Copied Romare Bearden, Village Square, 1969, collage on paperboard, 23 3419 78 in. (60.350.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Edith S. and Arthur J. Levin, 2005.5.4

Artwork Details

Title
Village Square
Date
1969
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
23 3419 78 in. (60.350.5 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Edith S. and Arthur J. Levin
Mediums Description
collage on paperboard
Keywords
  • African American
  • Cityscape — town
  • Performing arts — music — guitar
  • Architecture Exterior
Object Number
2005.5.4

Artwork Description

In genre scenes, landscapes, and jazz and blues images of the 1960s, Bearden transformed contemporary and recollected moments, people, and places into archetypes that transcend generation and culture. Village Square, which is populated by a woman with a shopping basket, a child holding a treasured object, and a street musician, is both nowhere and everywhere. The face of the musician is simultaneously real and mask-like, reinforcing the understanding that he is a contemporary figure whose cultural roots lie in Africa.

Modern Masters: Midcentury Abstraction from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2008