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Michael
Michael
@mdstamper.bsky.social
1 year ago
In Woman in a Blue Coat, arguably Crichlow's most important painting, a confident, self-assured Black woman is depicted. It is an upper body portrait of her wearing a citrine yellow scarf and oxford blue coat with light gold buttons as she crosses her arms and intently looks to her left. The letters ”xra” appear above her head. Unlike later works by the artist that deal directly with societal limitations placed on blacks, this work celebrates the depth of emotions conveyed by her countenance. This is an image controversial for its confident nature, simplicity, and its disavowal of the political world beyond the frame. The woman is elevated to heroic stature, with her bemused look, at a time when the everyday lives of African-American women were not typically considered worthy of representation. Primarily a figurative painter, Crichlow concentrated on people who lived in his Brooklyn neighborhood. He stated, "I try to show all of the emotions . . . I'm interested in clarity." Ernest Crichlow was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1914. He joined the Harlem Artists Guild in the 1930s during the Harlem Renaissance and worked alongside Jacob Lawrence, Charles Alston, and Aaron Douglas. The Artists Guild was supported by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which provided employment for many artists during the Depression. For Crichlow, the WPA was essential to the formation of many careers of African-American artists. He said that the WPA was "the greatest stimulant the American art scene had ever had. It meant something to be an artist then. The WPA was our haven and offered us a real entrée into what was happening. We had a lot of hope . . . Before that, very few of us had anything resembling a real art education." Crichlow was always a strong advocate for black artists. In 1969, he, Romare Bearden, and Norman Lewis jointly founded the Cinque Gallery, an institution devoted to the advancement of black artists.

In Woman in a Blue Coat, arguably Crichlow's most important painting, a confident, self-assured Black woman is depicted. It is an upper body portrait of her wearing a citrine yellow scarf and oxford blue coat with light gold buttons as she crosses her arms and intently looks to her left. The letters ”xra” appear above her head. Unlike later works by the artist that deal directly with societal limitations placed on blacks, this work celebrates the depth of emotions conveyed by her countenance. This is an image controversial for its confident nature, simplicity, and its disavowal of the political world beyond the frame. The woman is elevated to heroic stature, with her bemused look, at a time when the everyday lives of African-American women were not typically considered worthy of representation. Primarily a figurative painter, Crichlow concentrated on people who lived in his Brooklyn neighborhood. He stated, "I try to show all of the emotions . . . I'm interested in clarity." Ernest Crichlow was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1914. He joined the Harlem Artists Guild in the 1930s during the Harlem Renaissance and worked alongside Jacob Lawrence, Charles Alston, and Aaron Douglas. The Artists Guild was supported by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which provided employment for many artists during the Depression. For Crichlow, the WPA was essential to the formation of many careers of African-American artists. He said that the WPA was "the greatest stimulant the American art scene had ever had. It meant something to be an artist then. The WPA was our haven and offered us a real entrée into what was happening. We had a lot of hope . . . Before that, very few of us had anything resembling a real art education." Crichlow was always a strong advocate for black artists. In 1969, he, Romare Bearden, and Norman Lewis jointly founded the Cinque Gallery, an institution devoted to the advancement of black artists.

Woman in a Blue Coat by Ernest Crichlow (American) - Oil on canvas / 1948 - The Harvey B. Gantt Center (Charlotte, North Carolina) #womeninart #portrait #art #portraitofawoman #oilpainting #GanttCenter #fineart #ErnestCrichlow #americanartist #womensart #artwork #americanart #harlemrenaissance

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