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Romare Bearden
Bridge Contemporary African American Urban Landscape 20th Century Alvin Ailey NY

1982

$125,000
£95,569.16
€110,076.36
CA$175,163.33
A$195,553.38
CHF 102,467.03
MX$2,393,765.33
NOK 1,301,332.32
SEK 1,226,991.15
DKK 821,511.19
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About the Item

"Bridge" Contemporary African American Urban Landscape 20th Century Alvin Ailey NYC ROMARE BEARDEN (American, 1914-1988) The Bridge, 1982 signed 'Romare Bearden' (upper left); with a page from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Company ballet program for The Stack Up, May 3rd & 5th, 1983 (affixed to frame backing) watercolor on paper 9 7/8 x 14 1/8 inches framed 15 3/8 x 19 1/8 x 7/8 inches The drawing is a study for a scrim design for an Alvin Ailey performance. Provenance: Wendell Street Gallery, Boston. Literature Anna Kisselgoff, 'Dance: Gala at the Ailey with Premiere to Match', New York Times, December 4, 1982. "The Art of Romare Bearden" by Ruth E. Fine. Published by Harry Abrams 2003. Page 240. "Bridge" will be included in the forthcoming Romare Bearden Catalogue Raisonné currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc. A certificate of authenticity from the Wildenstein Plattner Institute is provided. BIO Romare Bearden was brought up in a New York household that was heavily involved in the cultural and intellectual hum of the Harlem Renaissance. The Bearden home frequently hosted such figures as Duke Ellington, Countee Cullen, Paul Robeson, and Mary McLeod Bethune, and the influence of this vibrant environment is evident in Bearden's multifaceted career; he spent time as a cartoonist, a songwriter, a muralist, and a writer. Bearden even dabbled in sports, starting on the Boston University football team (1931-32) and pitching on its baseball team while also playing for the semi-professional, all-Black baseball team the Boston Tigers. Much of Bearden's life was spent exploring himself and humanity through art. He wrote that with art 'I am trying to find out what there is in me that is common to, or touches, other men' (Bearden in Cedric Dover, American Negro Art (Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1960), p. 49). This ethos of exploration led his artistic career through a variety of media, styles, and influences. His early paintings of the American South display the influence of Mexican muralists such as Diego Rivera, while the works he produced after serving in World War II and while traveling through Europe and studying at the Sorbonne are more semi-abstract and avant-garde. In the 1950s, Bearden spent time studying Chinese calligraphy and Dutch Old Masters to develop his grasp of composition and form. By the 1960s he began creating his iconic collages and photostat images. Throughout his career, Bearden sought to explore themes of spirituality, political activism, the African American experience, and humanity, themes that are present throughout his work.
  • Creator:
    Romare Bearden (1911 - 1988, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1982
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1156216088852

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