American artist William Edouard Scott’s “Untitled (Portrait of Woman with Flower)” is an elegant oil-on-canvas portrait housed at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago. The work depicts a dark-skinned woman shown in profile. She holds a large white flower with green leaves in her left hand. Adorned in a ruffled, low-cut garment of blue and orange, she also wears two gold bracelets and a gold hoop earring. Her hair is dark, wavy, and tied in a ponytail. There are trees next to a body of water in the background. Scott was an African American artist whose career spanned portraiture, murals, Haitian-themed works, and illustrations. Born in Indianapolis, he studied under Otto Stark and later trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Académie Julian, and Académie Colarossi in Paris. Mentored by the prominent African American painter Henry Ossawa Tanner, Scott developed a style grounded in academic realism and impressionism. Scott’s work often sought to counteract negative racial stereotypes by portraying Black subjects with dignity and prominence. He participated in early Harlem Renaissance exhibitions and received a Harmon Foundation award. Awarded a Rosenwald Fellowship in 1931, he traveled extensively in Haiti, producing numerous paintings that depicted everyday Haitian life—marketplaces, fishermen, domestic scenes—with empathy and detail. Throughout his career, Scott executed significant murals, including in Chicago and at the Recorder of Deeds Building in Washington, D.C., where he was the only Black artist selected in 1943. His imagery often spotlighted African American historical figures and civic themes with an elevated, respectful tone. The “Untitled (Portrait of Woman with Flower)” beautifully reflects Scott’s vision: a serene, graceful portrayal of a Black woman, enriched by intimate detailing, like a flower, jewelry, and refined attire, that together affirm her individuality and strength.

Untitled (Portrait of Woman with Flower) by William Edouard Scott (American) - Oil on canvas / c. Early 1930s - DuSable Black History Museum (Chicago, Illinois) #WomenInArt #art #TheDU #DuSableBlackHistoryMuseum #artText #DuSable #WilliamEdouardScott #AfricanAmericanArtist #BlackArt #DuSableMuseum

In 1968, Nathan Wright was convicted and incarcerated despite maintaining his innocence. Consequently, he was sentenced to serve 170 years in prison. During his incarceration, Wright discovered his talent for painting. In 1975, an exhibition of his artwork at the South Side Community Art Center proved instrumental in supporting his defense fund, "Friends of Nathan Wright," which was overseen by Dr. Margaret Burroughs, a prominent Chicago artist and activist, and founder of The DuSable Museum. Permission was granted by the prison warden for Wright to briefly depart Pontiac Prison and attend the exhibition's final day, which drew an audience of over seven hundred individuals. Dr. Burroughs, alongside other Black artists involved in the prison system, established connections between educational and cultural institutions and the expanding prison framework. They concentrated their efforts on Stateville and Pontiac prisons, two state institutions catering to adult males. Dr. Burroughs and The DuSable Museum played integral roles in this initiative. In “Mother and Child,” Wright depicts, in profile, a beautiful dark-skinned woman carrying a sleeping baby on her back, while balancing a woven basket laden with fruit on her head. The mother's expression is serene and contemplative, directed slightly over her right shoulder. Her attire suggests traditional garments, likely from a specific culture in Africa, and she is presented in a way that emphasizes her strength and resilience. The baby is nestled in a woven wrap, appearing peaceful and secure. The basket on her head draws our attention to the considerable weight she's carrying. The arrangement is simple, yet effective in conveying a sense of everyday life and the burden of motherhood. Warm lighting casts subtle shadows and highlights on the mother and baby. The background tones are muted, shifting between browns and golds, creating a backdrop that emphasizes the woman and her burden.

“Mother and Child” by Nathan Wright (American) - Oil on canvas / c. 1975 - DuSable Black History Museum (Chicago, Illinois) #WomenInArt #Art #ArtText #OilPainting #DuSableBlackHistoryMuseum #TheDU #NathanWright #AfricanAmericanArt #AfricanAmericanArtist #womensart #mother #artwork #portraitofawoman