Artwork Details
Artist
Creation Date
Materials
Object Types
Dimensions
36 x 24 in. (board) 44-1/2 x 32-1/2 x 3 in. (framed, Optium)
Mark Description
Signed lower left: Bearden
Accession Number
Credit Line
James E. Roberts Fund, Cecil F. Head Art Fund, Mary V. Black Art Endowment Fund, Roger L. Williams Fund
Copyright
Collection
American Painting and Sculpture 1800-1945
Color Palette
Provenance
From the artist to Duke Ellington [1899-1974] in 1945; by descent in the Ellington family to Stephen James, Duke Ellington's son in 1974; consigned by James to (Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York, New York) in 2006; {1} purchased by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, in 2006 (2006.111) {1} Provenance information supplied by (Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York, New York.)
Gallery Labels
- This image of the resurrected Christ, with its colorful angular forms and tangle of black lines, reflects the influence of African sculpture, the faceted planes of Cubism, and stained glass windows. It is typical of the tension between representation and abstraction that characterizes Bearden’s work.
- Bearden grew up in Harlem and studied in New York with German artist George Grosz, who introduced him to his own satirical approach, as well as styles of the European avant-garde and Old Masters.
- This work is one of a series of watercolors and oils called The Passion of Christ, which the artist created just after World War II. Bearden was drawn to the theme as a lesson in universal human values.
Exhibition History
Exhibition Name
Venue
Dates
Memory and Metaphor: The Art of Romare Bearden, 1940-1987
National Museum of American Art
October 2, 1992 - January 4, 1993
Memory and Metaphor: The Art of Romare Bearden, 1940-1987
High Museum of Art
February 25, 1992 - May 3, 1992
Memory and Metaphor: The Art of Romare Bearden, 1940-1987
University of California, Wright Gallery
December 8, 1991 - February 2, 1992
Memory and Metaphor: The Art of Romare Bearden, 1940-1987
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
September 28, 1991 - November 10, 1991
Memory and Metaphor: The Art of Romare Bearden, 1940-1987
The Studio Museum in Harlem
April 14, 1991 - August 11, 1991
Memory and Metaphor: The Art of Romare Bearden, 1940-1987
Carnegie Institute Museum of Art
May 30, 1991 - July 28, 1991
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