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Fred Jones
"Untitled Female" Clothed Female, Symbolism, Primary Colors, Watercolor

About the Item

"Untitled Woman" is full of symbolism in the form of the birds, the background castle, the birdbath and the delicate tree held in the fingers of the contemplative female figure. Frederick Jones is known for his paintings of African American female figures in settings that tell the stories of their lives. This one is unusual of a Caucasian woman. It is also painted in bright colors with an equal distribution of red, yellow and blue. There is an overlapping of colors that gives a stained glass appearance to the surface of the work. Although identified as having a Romantic style, he is also considered to imbue spirituality and Surrealism. Shantay Robinson has written about Frederick Jones and the following is a deeply appreciative description of the man: "Frederick D. Jones was an accomplished artist in many ways, but like many of the African American artists of his generation, he was not as revered in the mainstream artworld as he was in black art circles. There isn’t much written about him, but the International Review of African American Art, The Smithsonian, and The Chicago Tribune have gathered information about his life. Born in 1913 in Georgetown, South Carolina, he became enamored with art from watching visiting artists paint scenes of the environment where he grew up. When his family moved to Atlanta in the 1920s, he met and was encouraged by Hale Woodruff who at the time was teaching art at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges. After high school, he enrolled at Clark College, but the school didn’t have an art program. He later attended Britt School of Art in Atlanta while he worked at the Coca Cola plant. Harrison Jones, chairman of Coca Cola’s board at the time, saw some of Jones’ work and agreed to sponsor his education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jones thrived in Chicago. Some of his contemporaries that found their way at the South Side Community Art Center were Gordon Parks, Charles White, Eldzier Cortor, Charles Seebree, and Margaret Goss Burroughs. Jones even served as Assistant Director of the South Side Community Art Center for a year before going back to work at Coca Cola where he retired from after 35 years to pursue art full time. Jones entered many art competitions and earned great recognition. By the 1940s, art fairs that were difficult for black artist to find space in, were seeking Jones’ work. The romantic style that Jones paints in tells stories of African American struggle in an ingenious way. He chose to tell the harsh reality of African American life with beautiful technique and symbolic gestures. Some of his more recognized works are The Daughter of Eve, Madonna Moderne, Concerto and Our Lady of Peace. All four of the aforementioned works won prizes in the Atlanta University annuals. Unframed the piece measures 15.25" h x 11.25" w.
  • Creator:
    Fred Jones
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 22.75 in (57.79 cm)Width: 19.25 in (48.9 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Detroit, MI
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU128616909902
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