Ritual Dancer, Purple Lady
Artist
Romare Howard Bearden
(American, 1912–1988)
Date1987
Mediumwatercolor, collage and graphite on paper
Dimensionssheet: 35.6 × 27.9 cm (14 × 11 in.)
ClassificationsCollages / Assemblages
Credit LineStoddard Acquisition Fund
Object number1997.7
Label TextAlthough for some artists fragmentation and quotation function as a critique of originality, for Romare Bearden collage was effective as an expression of ownership and mastery. Transforming fragments of art-historical reproductions and images from contemporary magazines into unified compositions allowed Bearden to locate his practice in a continuum of aesthetic traditions (American, European, African, Chinese) even as he revised pre-existing forms to accommodate new representations of African-American identity. Ritual Dancer, Purple Lady includes passages of cut paper, drawing, and painting which convey a range of surfaces and textures. Bearden’s frontal composition and emphasis on the figure’s masked face is an assertion of presence and demand for recognition, encouraging us to rethink the historical invisibility of African Americans. This is a representation of the female as a strong presence conjured from memories of the rural South of Bearden’s boyhood; yet with her mask, staff, kente cloth apparel, and hair decorated with cowry shells, she is also a contemporary link to ancient African rituals and mysteries.
"Us Them We": Formally and conceptually layered, Ritual Dancer, Purple Lady includes cut papers, drawing, and painting that connect a range of surfaces and textures.
Though the woman’s face is partially masked, her assertive gaze demands recognition. Bearden’s figure is a powerful force conjured from memories of his youth in the rural South. Further, her carved staff, patterned Kente cloth apparel, and hair decorated with cowry shells link back to ancient African rituals. Using color, pattern, and collage, Bearden encourages viewers to rethink the historical invisibility of African American women.ProvenanceThe artist; to his wife, Nanette Rohan Bearden; purchased from ACA Galleries, New York, representing the estate of Nanette BeardenOn View
Not on view
