Empress of the Blues

Romare Bearden, Empress of the Blues, 1974, acrylic and pencil on paper and printed paper on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in part through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1996.71
Romare Bearden, Empress of the Blues, 1974, acrylic and pencil on paper and printed paper on paperboard, 3648 in. (91.4121.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase in part through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1996.71

Artwork Details

Title
Empress of the Blues
Date
1974
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
3648 in. (91.4121.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase in part through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums
Mediums Description
acrylic and pencil on paper and printed paper on paperboard
Subjects
  • Performing arts — music — band
  • Performing arts — music — voice
  • African American
  • Figure group
Object Number
1996.71

Artwork Description

African American Art is a rich part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, which is the largest and one of the finest in the United States. The museum began acquiring work by African American artists in the 1960s, some in depth — such as Henry Ossawa Tanner, William H. Johnson, and Alma Thomas. Many of the social, political, and cultural movements that came to define the twentieth century in America and captured the imagination of artists — such as the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights movement — were rooted in African American communities.

Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.

Works by this artist (17 items)

Bill Traylor, Untitled (Brown Pig), April 1940, opaque watercolor and pencil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.70, © 1994, Bill Traylor Family Trust
Untitled (Brown Pig)
DateApril 1940
opaque watercolor and pencil on paperboard
Not on view
Bill Traylor, Untitled (Radio), ca. 1940-1942, opaque watercolor and pencil on printed advertising paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2016.14.4, © 1994, Bill Traylor Family Trust
Untitled (Radio)
Dateca. 1940-1942
opaque watercolor and pencil on printed advertising paperboard
Not on view
Bill Traylor, Untitled (Woman with Umbrella and Man on Crutch), 1939, pencil and opaque watercolor on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., 1991.96.7, © 1994, Bill Traylor Family Trust
Untitled (Woman with Umbrella and Man on Crutch)
Date1939
pencil and opaque watercolor on paperboard
Not on view
Bill Traylor, Untitled (Pig with Corkscrew Tail), ca. 1940, pencil and opaque watercolor on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak, 1983.11, © 1994, Bill Traylor Family Trust
Untitled (Pig with Corkscrew Tail)
Dateca. 1940
pencil and opaque watercolor on paperboard
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
City is Man
Date1941-1952
linocut
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Nathan Oliveira, Site with Blue and White, 1978, monotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.14
Site with Blue and White
Date1978
monotype
Not on view