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Negro Family

Negro Family

Artist/Maker (Belgian, 1886/87–1980)
Dateca. 1930
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 49 1/2 × 35 1/2 in. (125.7 × 90.2 cm)
Frame: 53 × 39 × 1 5/8 in. (134.6 × 99.1 × 4.1 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous Gift
Object number1938.24
Status
Not on view
Copyright© Estate of Angèle WatsonMore Information
Known as a painter of “figures and flowers,” Belgian-born Angèle Watson traveled to New York City with a talent for portraiture and still life in 1926. Watson featured in New York exhibitions during the 1930s, where she presented striking portraits of African American family life. Negro Family depicts three figures with downcast eyes, clasped hands, and wearing black clothing as though in mourning. Watson’s characteristic light background highlights the family’s somber mood.
ProvenancePrivate Collection; (Arden Gallery, New York); by anonymous gift 1938 to Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OHExhibition History
Portraits, Flower Paintings and Drawings by Angele Watson
  • Arden Gallery, New York ( 1937 - 1937 )
Modern Masters from the Permanent Collection
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (December 8, 1985 - March 23, 1986 )
Focus on the Permanent Exhibition: Audrey Flack
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (November 20, 1993 - March 20, 1994 )
Wildfire Test Pit
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (August 30, 2016 - June 12, 2016 )
Collections
  • Modern & Contemporary
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We welcome additional information and suggestions for improvement. Please email us at AMAMcurator@oberlin.edu.