Enduring Voices Catalogue (6-21-23) - Flipbook - Page 22
Romare
BEARDEN
(1911-1988)
Born an only child in Charlotte, North Carolina, Romare Bearden
moved with his family to New York City when he was a toddler.
In New York, Bearden was steeped in the Harlem Renaissance
culture as his mother Bessye, an activist and writer for the
Chicago Defender newspaper, hosted parties with her husband
with guest lists that included Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois,
Paul Robeson, Duke Ellington, and countless other top jazz, literary,
and art greats.
Earning a degree in mathematics from New York University in
1935, Bearden’s interest in art was galvanized when he began
meeting with a group of artists that later became known as the
Harlem Artists Guild. He worked for several years as a cartoonist
and social worker. Following service in the Army, he traveled to
Europe to study art and philosophy under the GI Bill. Encouraged
by his wife and friends, Bearden resumed painting in the mid1950s. While his earlier works in the 30s featured closed forms
with earthy browns, blues, and greens, in the 50s he moved to
more vibrant colors with bold lines to delineate shapes; his early
immersion in the Harlem Renaissance became clear as Bearden
more closely examined the relationship between painting and
jazz. As a member of the civil rights advocacy “Spiral Group” in
the 1960s, Bearden’s work became more reflective of his interest
in social causes, which are seen in his collage paintings and
photomontages, with his 1970s and later works harkening back
to his earlier days in jazz, incorporating African American genre
and myth.
Romare Bearden (United States, 1911-1988)
Pepper Jelly Lady, 1980
Color lithograph on paper, 26 x 21 1/8 in.
Interesting Bearden Fact
Romare Bearden passed on a chance to play MLB baseball. A top pitcher in the Negro League, Bearden was recruited to play for the Philadelphia
Athletics by renowned A’s manager Connie Mack. The offer came at a price, however: The fair-skinned Bearden would have to pass himself off
as white. Bearden refused to deny his heritage and, instead, began seriously studying art and made a career of celebrating his heritage.
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