#LoisMailouJones

Young French Girl, (1951)

Two women are shown close together in a tightly framed, shoulder-length double portrait, filling nearly the full picture space. They are Black women with medium-to-deep brown skin tones and dark hair styled in soft, mid-century waves. They face forward and meet us with calm, direct gazes, their expressions composed and focused. The woman on the left wears a white blouse with a ruffled neckline while the other woman wears a warm yellow garment with curved accents in red, orange, and green. American artist Loïs Mailou Jones builds their faces with visible, confident brushstrokes using warm browns, blue-gray shadows, white highlights, and rich reds, so their skin is luminous and dimensional rather than flat. Behind them, a patterned background of looping blues, greens, and reds compresses depth and heightens intimacy, making the pair feel both individual and unified. The painting’s strength lies in its balance of closeness and dignity. Jones gives each sitter equal visual weight, allowing relationship (possibly friends, sisters, or companions) to remain open rather than fixed. The frontal scale and patterned backdrop create a modern, almost iconic presentation of Black womanhood, while the loose, expressive handling preserves individuality and psychological presence. Around the mid-1940s, Jones was already an accomplished painter and a pivotal educator at Howard University, shaping generations of artists while navigating the racial and gender exclusions of the U.S. art world. Her work moved across portraiture, design, and transatlantic modernist influences, and this painting reflects that range as decorative pattern and formal experimentation serve the sitters rather than overwhelm them. In the BMA context, the work also carries institutional significance as an important corrective to older collecting histories, asserting Jones’s place in American modernism with clarity and force.

"Untitled (Two Women)" by Loïs Mailou Jones (American) - Oil on linen / c. 1945 - Baltimore Museum of Art (Maryland) #WomenInArt #WomensArt #WomanArtist #WomenArtists #LoisMailouJones #LoïsMailouJones #BMA #BaltimoreMuseumOfArt #artText #art #1940s #BlueskyArt #PortraitOfWomen #BlackArt #BlackArtist

To celebrate Black History Month, I am posting some work of one Black visual artist from history per day.
For February 17th, I am posting work by Lois Mailou Jones. (2/2)
#BlackHistoryMonth #LoisMailouJones #painter
@artherstory.bsky.social @arenekay.bsky.social @srivas.bsky.social

To celebrate Black History Month, I am posting some work of one Black visual artist from history per day.
For February 17th, I am posting work by Lois Mailou Jones. (1/2)
#BlackHistoryMonth #LoisMailouJones #painter
@artherstory.bsky.social @arenekay.bsky.social @srivas.bsky.social

photo of stack of 11 books

#bookhaul from estate sale in kingman park #dc yesterday. organized by #estatesale company & family of ladora redman, artist & illustrator born in #brooklyn. home full of #art #books #dolls #ephemera #music inc #loismailoujones #painting re #haiti. open until 3pm today. estatesales.net #blackstudies

🎨 Remembering #LoisMailouJones, African American painter and academic, who was #BOTD 3 November 1905. #Art #Painting

#LoisMailouJones,

The Ascent of Ethiopia, (1932)

Lillian Evans Tibbs recalled that she dreamed of “crossing the ocean and finding in some other land opportunities which the color barrier made impossible here in the United States.” In 1924, the aspiring opera diva took that chance, leaving her husband and son behind and journeying alone to Paris. Under the stage name Madame Evanti, she became the first African American to perform with the grand opera companies of Europe. She mastered 23 operas and 200 songs in 5 languages. In 1939, Evanti met Loïs Mailou Jones, who shared her nostalgia for Paris. Their frequent meetings, Jones recalled, “recreated for me some of the heady artistic ambiance I had enjoyed in Paris.” In 1940, Jones painted Evanti in her costume from Rossini’s "The Barber of Seville." The vibrant colors and exuberant patterns convey the happiness the women associated with Paris and relived through their friendship. Evanti's attire is striking: a rich, dark crimson jacket with fringed detailing along the sleeves and bodice, paired with a flowing, off-white skirt with delicate lace suggested by the brushstrokes. Her head is adorned with a white and blue veil, embellished with a cluster of yellow flowers. She delicately holds an open hand fan, which shows a spectrum of pastel colors. Her expression is calm, with a soft, engaging look in her dark eyes. Jones uses a painterly style with visible, somewhat loose brushstrokes resulting in a textured and impressionistic quality. This allows for a play of light, which illuminates Evanti's face and creates a gentle glow on her clothing. The background is equally rich, though with abstract, swirling shapes of color like warm golden yellows, rust oranges, and muted greens -- suggesting sunlight and creating an almost dreamy atmosphere. The overall mood is quiet elegance. The colors, dress, and demeanor are suggestive of tranquility with a hint of nostalgia. The contrast between Evanti and the blurred background draws our eyes directly to her beauty and poise.

"Lillian Evanti" by Loïs Mailou Jones (American) - Oil on canvas / 1940 - National Portrait Gallery (Washington DC) #WomenInArt #FemaleArtist #WomenArtists #WomensArt #WomanArtist #PortraitofaWoman #art #artwork #OilPainting #LoïsMailouJones #LoisMailouJones #NationalPortraitGallery #Smithsonian

Jeanne "Jane" Nardal was an Afro Caribbean writer, philosopher, teacher, and political commentator from Martinique, West Indies. She and her sister, Paulette Nardal, are considered to have laid the theoretical and philosophical groundwork of the Négritude movement, a cultural, political, and literary movement, which first emerged in 1930s, Paris, France and sought to unite Black intellectuals in the current and former French colonies. The term "Négritude" itself was coined by Martiniquan writer-activist Aimé Césaire, one of the three individuals formally recognized as the "fathers" of the cultural movement, along with Senegalese poet Léopold Senghor and French Guianese writer Léon Damas. It was not until relatively recently, however, that the women involved in the Négritude movement, including Jane and Paulette Nardal, began to receive the recognition they were due. American artist Loïs Mailou Jones's painting "Jeanne, Martiniquaise" was completed in 1938 while the artist was in Europe on an extended sabbatical to study art. The portrait is a notable example of her work, showcasing a shift towards an expressive late Impressionist style. It reflects her move away from strict academic realism towards a style reminiscent of Camille Pissarro and early Henri Matisse. The composition is a close-up portrait of Jeanne, focusing on her head and upper body. The colors are muted, with earth tones and varying shades of brown, red, and green, creating a contemplative mood. The brushstrokes are visible, suggesting Jones’ painterly style. The framing is tight, emphasizing the subject's features and expression. Jeanne's face is characterized by a thoughtful expression and a focused gaze downward, and a muted palette of colors. Her head wrap is a combination of red and green stripes. Her clothing is detailed with a mix of patterns and colors. Jones captures the texture and depth of the clothing through both soft and strong brushstrokes.

“Jeanne, Martiniquaise” by Loïs Mailou Jones (American) - Oil on canvas / 1938 - Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, Massachusetts) #WomenInArt #art #WomanArtist #FemalePainter #ArtText #artwork #LoïsMailouJones #WomensArt #LoisMailouJones #AfricanAmericanArtist #WomenArtists #MFAB #MuseumofFineArtsBoston

Celebrating the life and work of Loïs Mailou Jones (born 1905) who died on this day (09/06) in 1998 at the age of 92.
#ahimaov #arthistory #art #loismailoujones #harlemrenaissance #pocartist

🎨 #LoisMailouJones, #AfricanAmerican painter, #DOTD 9 June 1998. #Art #Painting

“ #LoisMailouJones (1905–1998)

A key figure in the #HarlemRenaissance, Jones worked extensively with watercolor, depicting African heritage, Caribbean landscapes, and cultural symbolism”—
#32n3presents #NationalWomensHistoryMonth #WaterColors

#LoisMailouJones
Woman with Necklace.

Jones went to Africa for the first time in 1970, at age sixty-five, but the forms, rhythmic cadences, and vibrant color she associated with the ceremonies of Africa had infused her art since her student years. These influences are apparent in Self Portrait, in which Jones links her identity with traditional African sculpture.

Self Portrait by Loïs Mailou Jones (American) - Casein on board / 1940 - Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.) #art #womeninart #portrait #americanartist #loismailoujones #painting #womanartist #bsky.app #femalepainter #bskyapp #smithsonian #saam #americanart #artoftheday

Unknown photographer, Lois Jones, artist and teacher, 1936/1937, negative, National Archives and Records Administration, The Harmon Foundation Collection. Black and white picture of Lois Jones holding books on her right arm and left hand, with a purse under the left arm, wearing a dress with big buttons.

⛱️ Out of the Shadows, A Black Painter Finds Her Place in the Sun
at National Gallery of Art @ngadc
#LoisMailouJones #BlackCulture

www.nga.gov/stories/lois...