For work that spans portraiture, oil painting and bronze sculpture, the Canadian artist Artis Lane draws from the spiritual and emotional aspects of human existence. Lane is a trailblazer: She was the first Black woman to be admitted to Cranbrook Academy of Art — a legendary institution within art, design and architecture — and her bronze bust of Sojourner Truth was the first statue of an African-American woman in the United States Capitol.
Lane was born in North Buxton, Ontario, in a town predominantly inhabited by the descendants of slaves who arrived in Canada by way of the Underground Railroad. As her artistic career developed, so did her interest in people of African descent as well as her ideas about the physical world and our bodies being vessels, capable of eventually taking on godly characteristics.
“Lane promotes the primacy of corporeal experience with sculptures that speak to Africa as the beginning of human life,” noted the University of Oklahoma’s Journal of Museum Studies in 2008. Her unique approach to depicting the journey between the physical and spiritual worlds has been to work outside the constraints of the traditional bronze finishing process, leaving the ceramic casing, wire and tubing used to cast it intact as part of the finished piece, whereby the wire is symbolic of bondage to the physical form.
Lane attended what was then called the Ontario College of Art (today, it’s the Ontario College of Art and Design University) on the Edith Chapman scholarship before studying painting at Cranbrook. She took an active role in the artistic communities in the various cities she lived in over the years. In New York and Los Angeles, she befriended actors Cary Grant and Diahann Carroll, and in Detroit, she painted commissioned portraits of auto industry executives to pay the bills. She would go on to paint portraits of many esteemed figures such as President John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jordan and Aretha Franklin. Today, a sculpture Lane created of Rosa Parks is on display at the National Portrait Gallery.
Lane received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the California African American Museum and an honorary degree from her alma mater, Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Find a collection of Artis Lane art on 1stDibs.
Price Upon Request
"Desmond Tutu", Acrylic on Canvas, Historical Portrait
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
This portrait of Desmond Tutu is from the seminal artist Artis Lane and is one of the many exquisite portraits done of historical figures and celebrities she has met and painted duri...
Canvas, Acrylic
Price Upon Request
"Female", Acrylic on Canvas
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
This acrylic on canvas from the seminal artist Artis Lane is one of the many model paintings from her long and illustrious career. The subject is a female nude in pose, holding a flo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Price Upon Request
"Baby Jane Holzer" Female Portrait, Golden & Green Colors, Celebrity, Intimate
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
This portrait from the seminal artist Artis Lane is one of the many unique portraits she has painted of notable people she has known in her long and illustrious career. The subject is "Baby Jane" Holzer, a member of Andy Warhol superstars and an art collector and film producer in her own right. She appeared in several Andry Warhol...
Canvas, Oil
$1,100
H 24.5 in W 20.5 in D 1.5 in
A Contemplative 1940s Modern Studio Portrait, Seated Young Female Ballet Dancer
By Walter Burt Adams
Located in Chicago, IL
A Contemplative 1940s Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Female Ballet Dancer by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). The painting a is well executed, i...
Oil, Canvas
$850
H 21.66 in W 18.12 in D 0.79 in
"An Urgent Man" (Abstract, Black & White, Figurative Oil Painting, Neutral Tone)
By Nicholas Evans
Located in Paris, IDF
AN URGENT MAN 2020 Paris, France Oil and acrylic on canvas portray a ‘derbyed’ man attempting to shed the weighted armor of his obligations and persona. A very loose nod to the character from René Magritte’s 1964 painting, ‘The Son of Man...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$6,500
H 32 in W 32 in D 2.75 in
"The Champ, 1942" Joe Louis "Brown Bomber" Boxer Portrait Ex-Museum Oil Signed
Located in Yardley, PA
“The Champ, 1942” by Theodore Fried (1902-1980) This important portrait by Hungarian-American artist Theodore Fried depicts the legendary boxer Joe Louis aka “The Brown Bomber” and ...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$2,595Sale Price|40% Off
H 24.02 in W 24.02 in
Series of Four Portraits from a New York City Gay Underground Club
By Damien Smith
Located in London, GB
A series of four paintings - acrylic on stretched canvas - unframed, by Canadian artist Damien Smith (born 1969). This unique series depicts four characters in a New York City erotic gay bar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$6,500
H 21.88 in W 17.38 in D 2 in
On the Beach. Woman Reading. Mid-Century Chicago Modernist Oil Painting.
By William Schwartz
Located in Marco Island, FL
Chicago Modernist, William Schwartz, painted this intimate painting of a woman reading titled On the Beach. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago shortly after emigrating to th...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,600
H 18.5 in W 14.5 in D 2 in
A Striking, Post-War Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Young Male Model
By Walter Burt Adams
Located in Chicago, IL
A Striking, Colorful Post-War Studio Portrait of a Seated Young Male Model by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). The painting a is well executed, inti...
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
H 45.67 in W 35.04 in D 1.97 in
Extra-Large Dutch Contemporary Abstract Portrait By Hans Bouman
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
A large contemporary painting by Dutch artist Hans Bouman (b. 1951), who has made monumental "hieratic heads" one of his central motifs and artistic trademarks. Educated at the Ger...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$2,514
H 51.19 in W 51.19 in D 0.79 in
On My Mother's Lap - Contemporary Figurative Modern Painting
By Kasia Mazur
Located in Hallein, AT
This painting is part of the artist's award-winning diploma thesis. Artist Statement: I paint imagined memories shaped by contradiction. In my practice, tenderness meets fear, humou...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$55,000
H 67 in W 46 in
"Portrait of Kathleen Curry, the Artist's Wife" John Steuart Curry
By John Steuart Curry
Located in New York, NY
John Steuart Curry Portrait of Kathleen Curry, the Artist's Wife, 1938 Signed and titled "Kathleen" lower left Oil on canvas 55 x 34 inches Provenance The artist Kathleen Curry, the...
Canvas, Oil
Red - Acrylic and collage on canvas, 2025, by Ransome
Located in New Orleans, LA
Ransome's work explores the intersections of personal memory, cultural history, and collective identity through vibrant paintings and mixed-media collages. Drawing from his African A...
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
$3,900
H 45 in W 45 in D 2 in
Abstract Cubist Portrait - HFC 17" - Limited Edition Textured Canvas Print
By Irena Orlov
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Introducing "Abstract Cubist Portrait - HFC 17" - Limited Edition Textured Canvas Print Experience the brilliance of abstract art with "Abstract Cubist Portrait - HFC 17," a captivating limited edition textured canvas print inspired by the masterful works of Picasso. This artwork exudes originality and uniqueness, designed to leave a lasting impression. Artistic Craftsmanship: Feel the intricate brush strokes as you bring the essence of my studio into your home. Each canvas print is thoughtfully crafted to preserve the texture true to the original artwork, delivering an authentic and mesmerizing visual experience. Canvas Print Size: "Abstract Cubist Portrait - HFC 17" stands tall at an impressive size of 45" x 45", making it a striking centerpiece in any setting. Exclusive Limited Edition: To maintain the essence of exclusivity, only 300 prints of "Abstract Cubist Portrait - HFC 17" have been produced. Each print comes with a signature Certificate of Authenticity and a unique number, making it a collectible masterpiece. Fade-Resistant Inks: With archival eco-solvent inks, "Abstract Cubist Portrait - HFC 17" guarantees lasting brilliance and resistance to fading, ensuring its allure stands the test of time. Superior Quality: This canvas print is professionally hand-stretched over 1 ½" deep wood stretched bars...
Acrylic, Giclée, Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Digital, Inkjet
Modern British oil Portrait of a Clown in full makeup
Located in Woodbury, CT
Portrait of a Clown This expressive and dynamic work by Ken Foster, an accomplished English Impressionist painter, is a compelling example of his mastery in capturing the essence of...
Canvas, Oil