Beauford's Portrait of Gaylord

The Worcester Art Museum (WAM) holds Beauford's Portrait of Gaylord in its permanent collection.

Portrait of Gaylord
(1944) Oil on canvas mounted on artist board
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Central to the museum's mission are its collaborations with many of the city’s colleges and universities, serving over 35,000 students annually. It uses its art collection to support the colleges’ curricula and engage students, faculty, and staff in planning and implementing projects that benefit all audiences.

In the fall of 2021, Kristina Wilson, professor of art history at Clark University, taught a course entitled “Art, the Public, and Worcester’s Cultural Institutions,” in which students researched works in the Museum’s collection to create content for a new podcast. “WAM x University” launched in the spring of 2022 and is available for streaming on Spotify. Its success opened the door for future classes and other colleges and universities to contribute new seasons, as an ongoing project for students to present research in new forms.

For the 50th episode of the podcast, Clark University student Lee McKinnon presents an analysis of Portrait of Gaylord that portrays it as a representation of resistance and protest.

Listen to the ~16-minute episode by clicking HERE.

More on Beauford's Still Life with Idol

Last week, Les Amis published an article about Sotheby's sale of a Beauford Delaney work entitled Still Life with Idol.

Lot 336
Still Life with Idol
signed (lower center)
oil on Masonite in artist's chosen frame
36 by 21 in.
91.4 by 53.3 cm.
Executed in 1945.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

In that post, we discussed the differences in title, media, and year of creation ascribed to the work on Sotheby's Website and in the biography entitled Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney.

Sylvain Briet worked alongside his brother, Philippe, at the Philippe Briet Gallery in New York.  He graciously provided us with additional information about this painting.

He told us that the gallery sold the painting to Jean de Gunzburg and that de Gunzburg already owned it when the gallery displayed it at the Beauford Delaney: The New York Years [1929-1953] exhibition in April - May 1994. He confirmed that it is an oil on masonite.

Briet also told us that neither his brother nor Jean de Gunzburg knew of the title Still Life with Idol and that the work was listed in the exhibition as Untitled, circa 1945. He mentioned that many of the works shown during the gallery's 1994 show also hung in the Seventh Annual Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture at the Pyramid Club in Philadelphia in 1947.

Beauford's Still Life with Idol Offered by Sotheby's

Sotheby's auctioned Beauford's Still Life with Idol during its Contemporary Day Auction featuring works from the collection of Jean and Terry De Gunzburg.

Lot 336
Still Life with Idol
signed (lower center)
oil on Masonite in artist's chosen frame
36 by 21 in.
91.4 by 53.3 cm.
Executed in 1945.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

According to Sotheby’s, the present owner acquired the work from Philippe Briet Gallery, New York, in 1994. The painting appears to be the work shown second from the left in an installation photograph from the gallery’s Beauford Delaney: The New York Years [1929-1953] exhibition, which was held from April through May 1994.

Beauford Delaney: The New York Years (1994)
© Sylvain Briet

Several years ago, Sylvain Briet shared with Les Amis an invitation card and graphic image produced for the 1994 exhibition. Although the title of the work was not identified on the material provided, Les Amis later located what appears to be the same composition reproduced in the first edition of David Leeming’s biography entitled Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney (1998; Oxford University Press).

In the biography, the work is identified as Earth Mother.

Les Amis subsequently included the image in a 2017 post entitled "Beauford's Reflections on Leaving New York".

Earth Mother
(1950) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The caption accompanying the black-and-white reproduction of Earth Mother in the second edition of Amazing Grace (2024; Karma Books) lists dimensions that correspond to those given for Still Life with Idol on Sotheby’s Website.

Earth Mother as presented in
Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney (2024; Karma Books)
© Les Amis de Beauford Delaney

The Sotheby’s image differs noticeably in coloration from the earlier reproduced image.

David Leeming’s Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney identifies the work as Earth Mother (1950, oil on canvas); Sotheby’s identifies it as Still Life with Idol (1945, oil on Masonite).

The estimated sale price of Still Life with Idol was $60,000 - $80,000.

It sold for $76,800, including a buyer's premium of 28%.

For information about the auction, click HERE.

More Beauford-Inspired Music

I am always intrigued when I learn about musical compositions inspired by Beauford's art.

A few days ago, I learned that a piece called "Brilliant Brushstrokes” (2025) by Dr. Ryan Lindveit was commissioned by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Wind Ensemble (John Zastoupil, conductor) and debuted at the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) National Conference at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX on March 27, 2025.

It was inspired by Beauford's untitled raincoat painting, which is part of the permanent collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Untitled (raincoat painting)
(1954) Oil on raincoat fragment
Gift of Jacques and Solange du Closel
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The University of Washington Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band performed this composition as the closing for its April 30, 2026 Scenes and Portraits concert at the school's Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater in Meany Hall.

"Brilliant Brushstrokes" was selected as the best composition for Category B (Wind Ensemble) of the 2026 RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition. It is the first movement of Lindveit's new multimovement work titled Color Theory, which was inspired by the myriad ways artists, animals, and filmmakers use color.

Dr. Lindveit is the Teaching Assistant Professor of Music Theory & Composition in the College of Music at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Listen to "Brilliant Brushstrokes" here:

Beauford and James Weldon Johnson

Growing up in Knoxville, Beauford learned about James Weldon Johnson and grew to greatly admire him.

James Weldon Johnson by Carl Van Vechten
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division,
Carl Van Vechten Collection
Public domain

He heard many stories about Johnson, who used to visit the home of Beauford's high school principal, Charles Cansler.

Cansler was well connected in Boston and provided Beauford with letters of introduction to influential people in the city when he learned that Beauford planned to move there in 1923.

Three years later, Beauford had the chance to meet Johnson in that city.

The encounter took place at Boston's Old City Hall, where a performance of Johnson's poem "Creation" was staged on the evening of November 27, 1926.

Old Boston City Hall
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, MA-860
Public domain

Biographer David Leeming describes the event as follows:

"... Johnson's African-American dramatic musical version of the Creation was presented by Serge Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to enthusiastic audiences in New York and Boston. Beauford was at a Boston performance and he introduced himself to Johnson afterward."

The New York Times published an extensive account of the performance. It reported that

"An old-time negro "folk-sermon," as embodied in James Weldon Johnson's poem "The Creation," with music by Louis Gruenberg, will be performed by the League of Composers on the evening of Nov. 27 in Town Hall, with Serge Koussevitzky of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as conductor.

Read the full-length NYT article HERE.

Of the numerous contemporary renditions of "The Creation" available for viewing/listening online, I have selected three that I particularly enjoyed.

Find them below.

Beauford Immortalized in Sculpture in Knoxville

A full-body likeness of Beauford now graces the landscape of his hometown of Knoxville, TN.

On April 16, 2026, four new bronze sculptures honoring historic Black figures from Knoxville were unveiled at Covenant Health Park, the city's new multi-purpose sports stadium.

Beauford's was one of them.

Beauford Delaney statue
Image courtesy of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center

Beck Cultural Exchange Center President and City of Knoxville Historian of African American History Rev. Reneé Kesler played an integral role in the creation and placement of the works. She graciously granted Les Amis an exclusive interview to discuss the project.

Rev. Kesler explained that she commissioned these statues and seven additional ones that honor Knoxville's Negro Baseball team, the Giants, as a means of acknowledging and honoring the history of the area.

The new stadium is located a couple of miles from the park where the Giants played from 1920-1932. Situated within the Magnolia Avenue Warehouse District, just east of Knoxville's Old City, it was built on land that was formerly home to a vibrant Black community and essentially razed in the name of urban renewal.

Working with sculptor Brian Hanlon and various stakeholders over the past 5-6 years, Rev. Kesler determined who would be represented in the statues, how they would be represented, and where the finished works would be placed. She elected to have Beauford represented with a likeness of one of his more iconic portraits of his mentee, James Baldwin.

Beauford Delaney statue - detail of Baldwin portrait
Image courtesy of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center

James Baldwin
(c. 1945-1950) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Though all were commissioned at the same time, the first seven sculptures were unveiled when the stadium opened last April. Last week's unveiling was timed to coincide with the opening of the Delaney Building, an exclusive, mostly residential complex.

The sculptures that commemorate Black baseball history at Covenant Health Park represent Jerry Benjamin, William M. Brooks, Claude “Steel Arm” Dickey, Forrest “One Wing” Maddox, William Nathaniel “Nat” Rogers, “Big Jim” Tugerson, and Payne Avenue Little League.

The four figures honored by the works unveiled last week are painter Ruth Cobb Brice, singer and “Queen of the Blues” Ida P. Cox, writer and poet Nikki Giovanni, and Beauford.

At the base of each statues is a QR code that allows you to learn more about the individuals represented in the works.

Rev. Kesler said that the Beck Cultural Exchange Center worked in close collaboration with Randy Boyd, the Boyd Family Foundation, Boyd Sports, and the Knoxville Smokies baseball team to move the sculpture project forward. She explained that ever since the renovation of the area began, Beck came in as a partner with the responsibility to hold onto and reclaim names and spaces to preserve its history.

(L to R) sculptor Brian Hanlon,
Rev. Reneé Kesler, Derek Spratley, court-appointed administrator
of the Beauford Delaney estate, and Jenny and Randy Boyd
with Beauford Delaney statue 
Image courtesy of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center

Covenant Health Park serves as the home park for the Smokies as well as the city's Division III soccer team, One Knoxville SC. It opened on April 15, 2025.

The new Delaney building overlooks the stadium.

Beauford Delaney statue and entrance to the Delaney Building
Image courtesy of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center

Click on the links below to read previous Les Amis articles about the Delaney Building:

Two Buildings for Beauford

Beauford Delaney Building to Be Constructed in Knoxville

The Calypso

Run by Trinidad-native Connie Williams, the Calypso is described by biographer David Leeming as "a small restaurant across from the Provincetown Playhouse on MacDougal Street" in Greenwich Village.

Provincetown Playhouse, 133 MacDougal Street, Manhattan
29 December 1936
Berenice Abbott for Works Progress Administration
Image in public domain

A photograph of its façade, published by Trinidad & Tobago Newsday, shows a modest, basement-level storefront with a worn street number and tropical decor on either side of the entrance (view image HERE).

Find images of Connie Williams inside the Calypso by Berenice Abbott (circa 1948) HERE ...

... and HERE (Williams is wearing a patterned dress).

Leeming devotes a single paragraph to the restaurant (which he calls a "café) in Amazing Grace, his biography of Beauford. He devotes almost two entire pages to the establishment in James Baldwin, his biography of Baldwin.

Beauford introduced Baldwin to Williams in 1943 after Baldwin's stepfather died and Baldwin moved from Harlem to Greenwich Village. Williams hired Baldwin as a waiter, and Leeming indicates that she became a surrogate mother to him.  He says that Baldwin, Beauford, and a young Black writer named Smith Oliver "held court" at the Calypso after hours.

Beauford produced at least three portraits of Baldwin during this period.

Portrait of James Baldwin
(1944) Pastel on paper
Knoxville Museum of Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY 

Portrait of James Baldwin
(1945) Oil on canvas
Philadelphia Museum of Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

James Baldwin
(1945) Pastel on paper
Photo credit: Ben Conant
Courtesy of Macdowell
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

In Amazing Grace, Leeming describes Beauford's fondness for the Calypso due to the multiple races of people with various sexual proclivities who made up its clientele. He provides a "laundry list" of intellectuals and celebrities who frequented the place, including C. L. R. James, Claude McKay, Alain Locke, Malcolm X, and Henry Miller. Even Beauford's brother, Joseph, was an occasional customer, though the two did not socialize when they were both present.

Leeming also describes costume parties that Williams organized and that Beauford loved to attend. He says that Beauford often played the guitar and sang at these events.

In Baldwin: A Love Story, Nicholas Boggs states that Beauford and Williams threw Baldwin a goodbye party at the Calypso before he left for France in November 1948.

Beauford in Six Minutes or Less

Last week, I came across a well crafted, 4:19-minute video about Beauford in a recently launched series about art history. Catherine, the creator of the series, chose to feature Beauford in her first episode.

Artist Series Ep.1 - Beauford Delaney

Viewing this video inspired me to look for others that grasped the essence of Beauford's life and/or work in a relatively short period of time.

Below are links to videos that do so in six minutes or less.

Some talk about Beauford biographically and some feature specific works of art.

Beauford Delaney: The Artist's Artist

A Modern Icon: Beauford Delaney's Marian Anderson

Going My Way: Episode 19 Beauford Delaney

Beauford Delaney, Can Fire in the Park, 1946

Gathering Light

The video short called BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2026! Daily Drawing Day Eight Beauford Delaney depicts an artist sketching a portrait of an older Beauford, which I believe was inspired by Errol Sawyer's 1973 photo portrait.

Beauford Delaney
Rue Guilleminot
France 1973
© Errol Sawyer

Click HERE to view it.

Swann Auction Galleries Sells Four Beauford Delaney Works

Swann Auction Galleries sold all four of the Beauford Delaney works it offered during its April 2, 2026 African American Art auction.

Two were figurative portraits and two were abstracts. All were works on paper.

Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man in Suit and Tie) was valued at $7,000 - $10,000.

Lot 9
Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man in Suit and Tie)
(circa 1940) Color pastels on pale gray wove paper
23 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (59.7 x 47 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

It sold for $24,130.

Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man) was also valued at $7,000 - $10,000.

Lot 10
Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man)
(circa 1937-40) Color pastels on pale green wove paper
24 1/2 x 18.875 in. (62.5 x 48 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

It sold for $35,560.

The estimated sale prices for the abstract works were 3-4 times more than those assigned to the portraits.

Ibiza sold for $69,850 (estimated sale price - $30,000 - $40,000).

Lot 55
Ibiza
(1956) Watercolor on heavy wove paper
Signed, titled and dated ‘56 in ball point pen and ink, lower right
18 x 11 3/4 in. (45.7 x 29.8 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The untitled abstract sold for $45,720 (estimated sale price - $20,000 - $30,000).

Lot 63
Untitled (Abstract Composition)
Watercolor on cream laid paper, 1963
Signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in graphite, lower right
17 1/2 x 12 in. (44.5 x 30.5 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

All sale prices include a 27% buyer's premium.

For information about the results of this auction, click HERE.

A Sleeping Beauty

David Byrne - award-winning musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker - performed his David Byrne - Who Is The Sky? concert yesterday at the Big Ears Festival in Beauford's home town of Knoxville, TN.

David Byrne - Everybody Laughs
Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Byrne is featuring Beauford in his upcoming book, Sleeping Beauties, which is all about brilliant ideas that got overlooked or forgotten but can be / are being revived.

He found Beauford’s renaissance over the last 10 years to be a "sleeping beauty," and he reached out to Les Amis to set up a fact checking call for the chapter he is writing about Beauford's rediscovery.

Byrne experienced Beauford's work for the first time when he visited the Be Your Wonderful Self: The Portraits of Beauford Delaney exhibition at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in NYC.  He told me that he and his wife went to the show because it had "gotten a nice review in the Times." 

The Portraits of Beauford Delaney
Catalog cover
Artwork © Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The magnificence of Beauford's paintings notwithstanding, Byrne and his wife were greatly impressed with his writing, which they discovered in a display of correspondence that had been included in the show.  (One of the vitrines was filled with handwritten letters to Larry Calcagno, Al Hirshfeld, Palmer and Miriam Hayden, and other friends and acquaintances.)

Installation view 28 of
Be Your Wonderful Self: The Portraits of Beauford Delaney
(September 8–December 23, 2021)
at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NY
Artworks © Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator,
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY

Installation view 24 of
Be Your Wonderful Self: The Portraits of Beauford Delaney
(September 8–December 23, 2021)
at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NY
Artworks © Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator,
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY

Installation view 25 of
Be Your Wonderful Self: The Portraits of Beauford Delaney
(September 8–December 23, 2021)
at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NY
Artworks © Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator,
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY

They subsequently saw Be Your Wonderful Self at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans. Byrne told me, "By then we realized - oh, he's back."

During a second call, I spoke to Byrne at length about Beauford and Sleeping Beauties. He reiterated how impressed he and his wife were by Beauford's writing, saying that many visual artists are challenged when it comes to expressing themselves in writing. He said that after visiting the exhibition at Ogden, he began seeing more references about Beauford.

I mentioned that one of the essays in the catalog for the Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition that the Wells International Foundation organized in Paris in 2016 is all about Beauford's writing and noted that this exhibition is credited by some as being the beginning of Beauford's renaissance.*

Our conversation turned to the reason Byrne is including Beauford in Sleeping Beauties. He said that after seeing Beauford's work at Ogden, he asked himself "How in the world did this go missing?" and "How did it get rediscovered?" His search for the response to that question brought him to Les Amis and to me.

Byrne talked about how the people of Knoxville had known so little about Beauford before Resonance of Form, and I told him about the "Knoxville 11," the eleven people from Knoxville who came to Paris to see the show. I also told him that the September 2016 article the NYTimes published about Beauford was a direct result of the Paris exhibition.

Sleeping Beauties is a work in progress, and Byrne said that he may reach out for additional information as he finishes up his writing.

As soon as the book is published, Les Amis will read the chapter about Beauford and post a review!

*Resonance of Form was part of a much larger, multi-layered tapestry of scholarship and advocacy that has specifically helped anchor his brilliance in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. One of the most significant contributions to 2016 catalog for the show was Levi Prombaum’s essay, "Reading Beauford Delaney’s Words and Letters: Three Thoughts." By meticulously exploring Delaney’s literacy and intellectual life, Prombaum shifted the focus away from a reductive "struggling artist" persona, reframing him instead as a master of both the brush and the pen whose prose was as "vibrating" as his abstractions.

The renewed appreciation for Delaney’s genius is the result of a massive, collective effort involving decades of work from numerous scholars and academics. The intellectual groundwork was laid by foundational figures like David Leeming, whose definitive biography remains a touchstone, and Richard J. Powell, whose rigorous art historical analysis elevated Delaney’s profile within the canon of Modernism. Deep critical analysis from scholars such as Mary Campbell, Adrienne L. Childs, and Monika Gehlawat has provided the essential lenses through which we now view Delaney’s transition from portraiture into his transcendent yellow abstractions.

The cultural and literary context of Delaney’s life has been further enriched by the insightful perspectives of Hilton Als, Rachel Cohen, and Amy Elias, who have bridged the gap between his visual output and his profound connections to the 20th-century literary world. This scholarly movement has been bolstered by the institutional stewardship of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Knoxville Museum of Art, where Stephen Wicks has been a pivotal force in celebrating Delaney’s legacy on a local level. Together, these voices have ensured that Delaney is recognized not just as a figure of the past, but as a central player in International Modernism.

Much of the specific historical detail and research that allows for such a deep understanding of Delaney’s career today is owed to the tireless, decades-long service of Michael Rosenfeld and halley k harrisburg of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. Their unwavering commitment to Delaney’s oeuvre and their willingness to share their extensive archives have been essential to the recovery effort. Through their work and the combined efforts of the academic community, the "vibration of color" that Delaney captured on canvas continues to resonate from the galleries of Paris to the streets of Knoxville.

Four Beauford Delaney Works to be Auctioned on April 2, 2026

On April 2, 2026, Swann Auction Galleries will offer two of Beauford's early portraits and two of his vibrant abstracts—all works on paper—for auction at its African American Art Sale.

Swann offered both portraits for purchase at its Autumn 2017 sale of African American Fine Art.

Lot 9
Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man in Suit and Tie)
(circa 1940) Color pastels on pale gray wove paper
23 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (59.7 x 47 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Lot 10
Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man)
(circa 1937-40) Color pastels on pale green wove paper
24 1/2 x 18.875 in. (62.5 x 48 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Both works are valued at $7,000 - $10,000.

Biographer David Leeming writes of Beauford having two solo exhibitions in Autumn 1938—one at the 8th Street Playhouse in NYC and one at Gallery C in Washington—where most of the works shown were portraits. I have not been able to determine whether Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man) was one of them.

Regarding the abstracts to be auctioned, Ibiza is a signed and dated watercolor on heavy wove paper. It is depicted in the catalog for the Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris exhibition mounted by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2004.

Lot 55
Ibiza
(1956) Watercolor on heavy wove paper
Signed, titled and dated ‘56 in ball point pen and ink, lower right
18 x 11 3/4 in. (45.7 x 29.8 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

This work is dissimilar to others for which Beauford expressly mentioned Ibiza in the title. Read about them HERE.

The second abstract is untitled. It is a signed and dated watercolor on paper as well. Swann reports that Beauford gave it to Ruth Watt Métraux, a friend of Gloria and James Jones (who were great supporters of Beauford), and that the work was passed on to the current owner by descent.

Lot 63
Untitled (Abstract Composition)
Watercolor on cream laid paper, 1963
Signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in graphite, lower right
17 1/2 x 12 in. (44.5 x 30.5 cm.)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The colors of the untitled abstract fairly glow. For me, they evoke the life and hope of spring.

The estimated sale price of Ibiza is $30,000 - $40,000.

The estimated sale price of Untitled (Abstract Composition) is $20,000 - $30,000.

For information about the sale, click HERE.

More of Beauford's Blues

I recently came across an article on color psychology that described various reactions to and interpretations of the color "blue."

It reminded me that Les Amis has published two articles about Beauford's use of this color:

Beauford's Blues - Part 1

Beauford"s Blues - Part 2

And it inspired me to look for additional works that feature light blue, a color that is frequently associated with relaxation, tranquility, and peace.

Untitled
(1960) Gouache and watercolor on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Self-portrait
(Undated) Oil on board
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Untitled
(1962) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Beauford's Geographies

The Light Beyond the Canvas catalog for The Beauford Delaney Papers—the largest existing archive for Beauford's life and work—provides an intriguing glimpse into the wonders of this archive, which is held by the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Tennessee Knoxville University Libraries.

Light Beyond the Canvas catalog
© Les Amis de Beauford Delaney

The catalog places considerable emphasis on Beauford's "geographies"—the places and spaces he navigated in Knoxville, New York, and Paris. A sketchbook map of the Odéon and Saint Germain districts of Paris illustrates this beautifully.

Left Bank Paris Map, c. 1950s
Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Seeing this image in the catalog reminded me of the Beauford Delaney in Saint-Germain-des-Prés walking tour that Entrée to Black Paris tours created to support the exhibition the library has curated to celebrate the acquisition of the archive.

It also inspired me to look up the article about Beauford in Saint Germain that Les Amis published in April 2015:

Beauford's Paris: Saint Germain des Prés

This is one of many articles that fall under the category "Beauford's Paris." Les Amis has published numerous articles about Beauford's haunts in Knoxville, Boston, and New York City as well.

Light Beyond the Canvas will be on display in the exhibit area of the University Libraries through May 2026.

Nadeau's Sells Beauford's Abstract Composition in Red

On February 21, 2026, Nadeau's Auction Gallery of Windsor, CT offered Beauford's Abstract Composition in Red for sale during its 2026 Custom Furnishings, Antiques, Fine Art, & Decor auction.

Abstract Composition in Red
(undated) Oil on paper
Marked lower right Beauford Delaney
24″ x 17 1/2″ sheet
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The estimated sale price for the work was $800 to $1200.

It sold for $20,740, including a 22% buyer's premium.

For details about the sale, click HERE.

Beauford's Jean-Claude Killy-Inspired Works

As the 2026 Winter Olympics come to a close in Italy and France prepares to host the 2030 Winter Games, my thoughts turn to Beauford's paintings of Jean-Claude Killy.

In 2014, Les Amis posted about an abstract work entitled Jean-Claude Killy that Beauford painted in 1962.

Jean-Claude Killy
(1962) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Killy was featured in Paris Match magazine in January of that year. He subsequently broke his leg and was unable to compete in the 1962 World Cup competition.

Six years later, he made Olympic history when he won the "Triple Crown" of alpine skiing by taking the gold in the downhill, giant slalom, and slalom competitions.

Beauford's 1968 portrait of Killy was inspired this success.

Jean-Claude Killy
(1968) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

He referenced two press images of the athlete to create this work—one from the cover of Historia Magazine and the other from a photo of Killy in mid-air during a ski run at the Grenoble games.

There is no mention of Killy in the biography entitled Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney by David Leeming.

Abstracts Sold, To Be Sold, and on Display

SOLD

On February 12, 2026, Sotheby's sold Beauford's untitled 1960 abstract for the sum of 20,320€, including a 27% buyer's premium.

Lot 299
Untitled
(1961) Gouache on paper
signed and dated (lower right)
63,9 x 50 cm; 25 x 19 ½ in.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The estimated sale price was 8,000€ to 12,000€.

See last week's blog post for information about this work.

TO BE SOLD

Nadeau's Auction Gallery is offering Abstract Composition in Red for sale on February 21, 2026 during its 2026 Custom Furnishings, Antiques, Fine Art, & Decor auction.

Abstract Composition in Red
(undated) Oil on paper
Marked lower right Beauford Delaney
24″ x 17 1/2″ sheet
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY
Seeing the intensity of the red in this work immediately brought three paintings to mind—a red all-over abstract that was shown during the Internal Light exhibition mounted by Levis Fine Art in 2013, Beauford's Portrait of Michael Freilich, and the iconic Sage Black, which recently sold at auction for $1,524,000, including a 27% buyer's premium.

Abstraction #12
(1963) Oil on canvas
Knoxville Museum of Art
Image courtesy of Levis Fine Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Portrait of a man in red / Michael Freilich
(1965) Oil on canvas
Signed on reverse
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The Sage Black
(1967) Oil on canvas
signed, inscribed, titled and dated
'The Sage Black Beauford Delaney Paris 1967'
(on the reverse)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The estimated sale price for Abstract Composition in Red is $800 to $1200.

For more information about this auction, click HERE.

ON DISPLAY

Dozens of Beauford's most vibrant works are now on display at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery.

The Light Contained in Everything is the gallery’s fourth solo presentation of Beauford's work. Featuring paintings and works on paper that date from 1954 and 1968, the exhibition's title is inspired by James Baldwin's introduction to Beauford’s 1964 solo exhibition at Galerie Lambert in Paris.

Many of the works in The Light Contained in Everything were loaned to The Drawing Center for its phenomenal In the Medium of Life: The Drawings of Beauford Delaney solo exhibition last year.

Untitled
(1961) Watercolor on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Chartres
(1954) Oil on paperboard
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

The Light Contained in Everything will be on display through April 4, 2026.

Visit the exhibition Web page HERE.

Beauford Delaney Abstract at Sotheby's Contemporary Discoveries Sale

On February 12, 2026, Sotheby's Paris will auction a Beauford Delaney abstract work on paper.

Lot 299
Untitled
(1961) Gouache on paper
signed and dated (lower right)
63,9 x 50 cm; 25 x 19 ½ in.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

This work is created in the same style as two works on paper shown in the 2016 Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition mounted by Les Amis and the Wells International Foundation in Paris

Sans titre
(1961) Technique mixte/papier
signed and dated (lower right)
65 x 49,5 cm
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Sans titre
(1961) Technique mixte/papier
signed and dated (lower right)
64 x 49,5 cm
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

as well as a work shown in the 2020 Through the Unusual Door exhibition mounted by the Knoxville Museum of Art.

Untitled
(1960) Watercolor on paper
signed and dated (lower right)
26 x 19 ¾ in.
Knoxville Museum of Art
2014 purchase with funds provided by Brenda and Larry Thompson
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY

Because the earliest of these works is dated 1960, one can speculate that the 1961 works may have been produced prior to Beauford's life-altering voyage to Greece that July.

The estimated sale price of the work offered by Sotheby's is 8,000€ - 12,000€.

For information about the auction, click HERE.