Celebrating Five Years of the Les Amis Blog!

It's been five years since I began this blog to write about Beauford's life and art and to raise the funds for a tombstone to be laid at his gravesite in Thiais cemetery. Time has flown by!

Portrait of Beauford Delaney
1953 Carl Van Vechten
I want to thank each and every person who has supported Les Amis de Beauford Delaney over the years and encourage you to continue to stay connected as we prepare for the mounting of two plaques in "Beauford's Paris" in 2015.

To celebrate, I'm republishing images of some of my favorite Beauford Delaney paintings.

Untitled
(1961) Watercolor on paper
© Christie's Images
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Embrun
(1963) Watercolor on wove paper
641x501 mm; 25 1/4x19 3/4 inches
Signed and dated "July 19, 1963" in ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Composition 16
(1954-56) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York , NY
Private Collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Abstract in Orange and Red
(1963) Gouache on wove paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Still Life with Pears
(1946) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and wish you a very Happy New Year!

A Christmas Self-portrait

Beauford painted the self-portrait below in December 1972*.

Self-portrait
(1970) Gouache on paper
Collection of David A. Leeming
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Though he had promised his family in Knoxville, TN that he would come home for the holidays that year, he stopped communicating with them and went to James Baldwin's home at Saint-Paul de Vence instead. His mental state was somewhat precarious at the time, and as biographer David A. Leeming states in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, this can be seen in Beauford's countenance in the painting. His neighborhood in Paris was undergoing massive urban renewal and he was having an increasingly difficult time coping with the change and the knowledge that he would soon need to move.

Yet his visit to Saint-Paul soothed him, and he wrote to his family to tell them he was well. When he returned to Paris, he began to prepare for a solo exposition to be held in March 1973 at the Darthea Speyer Gallery.

*Note that the painting is dated 1970, yet the Leeming biography indicated that Beauford painted it in 1972. Which is correct? Because of Beauford's declining mental health during the 1970s, one could imagine that he did not date the painting correctly. Leeming presumably relied on archival materials to come to the conclusion that Beauford painted this work in 1972, but in the absence of footnotes about this particular painting in Amazing Grace, we may never know!

A Second Plaque for Beauford - Update

Good news!

Les Amis has received approval from the City of Paris for the installation of a second plaque honoring Beauford in the 14th arrondissement. It will be mounted on the façade of Hôtel Le M at 20 bis, rue de la Gaîte.

Le M Hôtel
Image from the Hôtel Le M Web site
Beauford frequently took meals with friends at a restaurant called Les Mille Colonnes that was once located at this address.

In April 2014, the City of Paris approved the mounting of a plaque at the Odessa Hotel, which is only a couple of blocks away.

Hôtel Odessa
© Discover Paris!
Beauford stayed at the Odessa when he first arrived in Paris in 1953.

Stay tuned for updates on the fabrication of the plaques and the installation ceremony!

Beauford at Art Basel Miami Beach - December 4-7, 2014

No fewer than ten (10) Beauford Delaney paintings are being presented by the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery at this year's Art Basel Miami Beach exposition!

Here are images of a couple of the works that are displayed:

Untitled
(1958) Gouache on paper
25 1/2" x 19 5/8"
signed and dated lower right: Beauford Delaney 58
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
(1959) Gouache on paper
25" x 19 5/8"
signed and dated lower center: Beauford Delaney 59
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Art Basel is recognized as the premier international art show, providing a platform for artists and gallerists from around the world. Three annual shows bring the art world together in some of the world's most exciting venues: Basel, in the heart of Europe; Miami Beach at the nexus of North and South America; and Hong Kong, the gateway to Asia.

To view all of the Delaney paintings exposed by the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, click HERE.

Visit the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery at Art Basel Miami Beach at Booth K4. Hours: Saturday, December 6, Noon - 8 PM; Sunday, December 7, Noon - 6 PM.

For information about the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, visit MichaelRosenfeldArt.com.