Holiday reds and greens

Christmas is upon us and Kwanzaa begins immediately thereafter. Reds and greens (and black for Kwanzaa) are the hallmark colors of the season.

In celebration of the holidays, I'm bringing you two Beauford Delaney abstracts that are ablaze with red and green and accentuated with black.

Untitled: Abstract in Red, Green, Ochre and Black
(1962) Gouache on wove paper
Signed and dated lower right, Paris
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image supplied by Levis Fine Art Gallery

Untitled: Abstract
(1971) Oil on corrugated cardboard
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image supplied by Levis Fine Art Gallery

Les Amis wishes you and yours much love and joy during this most wonderful time of the year!

In Search of Purple

Yesterday morning, I awakened to the thought that I couldn't remember ever seeing a Beauford Delaney work in which the dominant color was purple.

Of course, there are numerous shades of purple, and of course, Beauford used purple as an accentuating color in scores of paintings.

But I was hard pressed to come up with a mental image of a painting or work on paper that "screamed purple."

So I set about looking at my digital catalog to see if I could find at least one.

I never did.

But here are some images of several works that came close - either Beauford painted a single large area with purple or he used this color as the dominant accent for the work.

 

Dante Pavone as Christ
(1948) Pastel on paper
23 ¼ x 19 ¾ inches
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Knoxville Museum of Art, purchase with funds provided by the KMA Collectors Circle with additional gifts from Barbara Apking, June and Rob Heller, Donna Kerr, Alexandra Rosen and Donald Cooney, Ted Smith and David Butler, Mimi and Milton Turner, John Cotham, Jan and Pete Crawford, Cathy and Mark Hill, Florence and Russell Johnston, John Z. C. Thomas, Donna and Terry Wertz, Jayne and Myron Ely, Sarah Stowers, Robin and Joe Ben Turner, and Jacqueline Wilson 

Mme du Closel
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery
(1964) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator 

Untitled
(1960) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Central Park
(1950) Oil on canvas
Image from Pomegranate Note Card
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator 

Portrait of Robert Tricoire
1969, Oil on canvas
65 x 54 cm; 25.6" x 21.2"
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Grievances from a Soul of Sorrow

Beauford's Untitled (1962-1964) was assigned Lot No. 81 for Black Art Auction's Fall Fine Art Sale on November 19, 2022. 

It sold for $53,125.

Untitled
(1962-1964) Gouache on paper
Signed and dated "Paris, 1964"
Inscribed: "for Amy(?) Erica + Tully, Paris August 20, 1962, with fond regards"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The date range for this work aroused my curiosity.  Beauford showed ten abstract gouaches in a 1964 Copenhagen exhibition called 10 American Negro Artists, and I wondered if this may have been one of them.

 Also, the online image of this work struck a chord in me. 

I found it to be particularly vibrant, and I wanted to do something special when I posted about it here.

Enter Marteena Mendelssohn, a junior at the American University of Paris (AUP) who is serving as the autumn intern for the Wells International Foundation. 

Marteena is a Creative Writing major and Film minor, and she has expressed interest in learning more about Beauford.

So, I invited her to have a look at some of the creative writing done by some of her intern predecessors (two of whom were also AUP students) and write some prose or poetry about this work on paper.

Find the resulting poem below.

Grievances from a Soul of Sorrow
by Marteena Mendelssohn

Let’s reconcile the belief that I is more than You. For you are who I am and you is I our truth. Inside of the tunnels of sorrow our truth holds light. In what we cannot see our spirits contain all the sight we need

                            To move forward

so we dig                               and we build                               and we move

with dark

bodies and light voices   that pave way into the black night blundering us into bits of bodies until our brown eyes turn into crimson blood on the backside of a painted canvas that’ll never see the day

            break

                                                Me

                                                                into the world of the unknown.

We tap into our souls and we make blood glimmer like sunshine. It’s not our light that bleeds into the darkness and unveils the parts

      You or I refuse to see, it is our faith in the light that allows us to be
                                                                                                                  u
                                                                                                                    s

so.

                               Take our light               take our truth

But don’t take us back to the starting line.

Beauford at Art Basel Miami 2022

Visitors to Art Basel Miami 2022 can revel in the splendor of Beauford's work! 

The Schoelkopf Gallery is displaying one of my favorite works on paper, Untitled (Grape Motif). This piece is being shown alongside works by other artists who the gallery describes as having ... reinvented conventional genres such as landscape and still life through new lenses...

Untitled
(1960) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

See these works HERE. 

Michael Rosenfeld Gallery* is displaying thirteen of Beauford's paintings and works on paper. Created between 1952 and c. 1970, all but one of the works are from Beauford's Paris period. 

Two are portraits of Beauford's mother, Delia, and his friend, Bernard Hassell,

Portrait of Delia Delaney
(1964) Oil on canvas
Knoxville Museum of Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Portrait of Bernard Hassell
(c. 1970) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

and one is a figurative painting of an island. 

The rest are of the works are abstracts. 

See the entire selection HERE. 

Today is the last day to visit Art Basel Miami. 

You can find the Schoelkopf Gallery at Booth C2 and the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery at Booth G1. 

Art Basel | Miami Beach
Miami Beach Convention Center
1901 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Website: https://www.artbasel.com/miami-beach/at-the-show

*Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC is Special Advisor and Representative of the Estate of Beauford Delaney.

Beauford's Portrait of Mary Painter

Ever since I published the following 2012 articles about Beauford and his friendship with Mary Painter:

Beauford and Mary Painter
Beauford's Paris: Rue des Carmes,

I've been searching for a portrait that Beauford did of Painter.  Because of his proclivity for sketching and painting the people he loved, I felt strongly that he must have captured Painter's likeness on canvas.

Thanks to a recent introduction to Painter's niece, Carolyn Wells, my search may be over!

 Mary Painter (?)
(1967-69) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated lower right: Beauford Delaney 1969
Signed, dated and inscribed verso:
Beauford Delaney / 1967 / Paris / France
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

Wells told me that the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (MRG)* might have a portrait of her aunt, so I inquired there.  The gallery sent me the image shown above, accompanied by a document that provides the provenance and a painterly description of the work, as well as information about Painter.

MRG acquired the painting from the Beauford Delaney estate and conducted research to identify Painter as the subject.  They spoke with Wells, who told me it seems very likely that the person in the painting is Painter. 

They have a photo of Painter, contributed by Wells, that shows Painter's hair flowing over her shoulders similar to the way Beauford has depicted the woman in this painting. Wells confirms that her aunt had long red hair.

 

Mary Painter (c. 1946-47)
Photo reproduced with the permission of Carolyn Wells

The rear of the painting bears the following information on the stretcher:

Property of M et Mme Jim Legros / Chaville, France

 Verso of Mary Painter (?)
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery 

Verso of Mary Painter (?) - detail

Jim and Bunny LeGros were dear friends of Beauford, and the Les Amis blog has featured them in multiple posts over the years.  They lived in the Paris suburb of Vélizy, for which the nearest train station is Gare de Chaville-Vélizy.

Unfortunately, Beauford did not write Painter's name on this work.

*Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC is Special Advisor and Representative of the Estate of Beauford Delaney.

Gathering Strength from Sprituals

As temperatures fall in Paris and the city heads toward winter, I am reminded of Beauford's first autumn and winter in Paris in 1953. 

Biographer David Leeming writes poignantly of this time, which was particularly cold and difficult. He reports that Beauford copied the lyrics of several songs in his sketchbooks "as if to keep the critical voices at bay," and names four in particular: "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen," "Steal Away to Jesus," "In That Great Getting Up Morning," and "Fix Me Jesus."

I went online to search for recordings of these spirituals and am sharing powerful renditions of them that I believe he would have appreciated.

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
Performed by Mahalia Jackson

Steal Away to Jesus
Performed by the Fisk Jubilee Singers

In That Great Getting Up Morning
Performed by Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle

Fix Me Jesus
Performed by the Alvin Ailey Dancers

Maestro Beauford Delaney - A Tribute by Joel Crooms

Joel M. Crooms commented on a recent Entrée to Black Paris Facebook post about the works auctioned during Christie's "Istanbul Calling" sale as follows:

Beauford was my inspiration as a young artist studying in NYC and New Jersey during the seventies and today! The brilliance of his colors is so powerful. At that time, minimalist and color field artists were big in the NYC area, but Mr Delaney’s colors far outshine those works ... in the process greatly affecting me, exciting me! The yellows!

Beauford Delaney portraits auctioned by Christie's London

This led to an email exchange, which culminated in the interview below.

Les Amis: How and when did you first learn about Beauford's work?

JC: I first learned of Beauford's work at the Studio Museum in Harlem. It was a retrospective of his work in nineteen seventy-eight (1978).

Beauford Delaney: A Retrospective catalog cover

Les Amis: What makes his colors "far outshine" the works by the minimalist and color field artists of the 70s?

JC: Minimalism was the rave during my time as a young artist in Manhattan of the seventies. The professed cold intellectualist nonspiritual objective approach yielded work I could appreciate on that basis. So, I dove right in. But I felt a need to find a model akin to me and my creative life. I would haunt the streets of Harlem, devouring all black culture there - visual art, theater, dance, politics, history, bookstores, and religious institutions.

I walked through the Studio Museum’s doors, and I saw art by Black Artists! The Delaney retrospective was down but there were still pieces hanging. I walked upstairs and on this floor I saw Beauford’s work. Portraits first, street scenes next, and then, the abstractions. Those Yellows, there were greens and some reds. 

For me though, it was and still is those yellows. Bright, brighter than bright! Emotive spiritual heat. So much light. Executed with skill, technique and passion. Not just some mechanical exercise, Beauford lit the way!

Les Amis: How prevalent was knowledge of Beauford's work among your fellow students during the time you were studying art?

JC: Beauford was a non-entity to the students at the institutions I attended.

Les Amis: How prevalent was knowledge of his work among your professors and mentors during the time you were studying art?

JC: If professors knew of Mr. Delaney they did not share that knowledge or were too culturally chauvinistic to acknowledge the work. I did have an art associate who introduced me to Alice Neel, a woman portrait artist who referred me to Beauford s work and encouraged me to continue my artwork.

Les Amis: How prevalent is knowledge of his work amongst your artist peers today?

JC: Many of my current peers know of Beauford Delaney's work thanks to efforts of the Studio Museum, the Smithsonian, and organizations like Les Amis Beauford Delaney.

Les Amis: (How) does Beauford's artistic style influence yours?

JC: It’s the light, along with Rembrandt’s chiaroscuro. The glazing techniques of illustrators like Maxfield Parish. Beauford's striking results heavily influence my analog, digital, and projection work.

Les Amis: Do you have a preference for his figurative versus his abstract works or for works he created during a specific period of his career (New York versus Paris)?

JC: Initially I preferred Beauford’s abstractions. However, as I look, I see the abstract aspects in his figurative and landscape work (Street Scenes).

Les Amis: You mentioned Beauford's yellows in your original comments. Please tell us why you find them so exciting.

JC: Beauford's yellows burn, illuminate, vibrate the space they occupy. In my current digital work experiments I attempt to master that.

Les Amis: Your biography states that all your work is political. Do you "see politics" in Beauford's work? If so, in what way(s)?

JC: Beauford’s very existence at the time he practiced his art and ventured to explore the practice of art, let alone abstraction, as the world around him denied his very humanity - let alone his and others' creative capabilities - is a powerful political statement. 

Even though Beauford's expat situation did not end well, he took a popular path to find a better life free of constraints.

Les Amis: Your biography states that your work speaks to cosmopolitan / universal issues. Do you believe Beauford's work does this as well? If so, in what way(s)?

JC: Of course, Beauford created works of art that speak to the human condition ... the figure, the landscape and the psyche.

Les Amis: What do you know about Beauford's life story? Do you find any similarities between his story and yours?

JC: At first, I knew little if anything at all about Beauford’s life. As I learned about it, my first thoughts were that it was tragic. But as I've lived and seen the lives of many of my peers come to similar conclusions - I realize that there are triumphant aspects to his and their journey. I appreciate the lessons learned from them that helped me find positive alternatives.

Les Amis: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?

JC: If it weren’t for Beauford Delaney, the world would be a poorer place. He brought his own light. I for one am indebted and thankful for the lessons and possibilities he gave ... and most of all, the JOY.

Thank you, Maestro Beauford Delaney!

Joel M. Crooms
Image courtesy of Joel M. Crooms

Beauford in The Art of the Affair

A couple of weeks ago, I reported that Forsyth Harmon created a beautiful watercolor portrait of Beauford for a book called The Art of the Affair: An Illustrated History of Love, Sex, and Artistic Influence by Catherine Lacey.

Beauford Delaney
(2017) Watercolor on paper
Forsyth Harmon

I reached out to Harmon to learn more about the book and her portrait of Beauford, and she graciously granted Les Amis the interview below.

Les Amis: Amazon lists you as an author on The Art of the Affair alongside Catherine Lacey. How much of the writing did you contribute to this book in addition to your wonderful illustrations?

FH: The Art of the Affair grew from a piece Catherine Lacey contributed to The Believer magazine. The concept was Catherine's, however she and I worked together to co-curate the relationship chains between turn of the century writers, artists, musicians, and more. Catherine did the writing, and I did the illustrations. The process was very collaborative, and a lot of fun. I learned so much.

Les Amis: What story does the book tell about Beauford Delaney?

FH: Beauford is featured in Chapter Five of The Art of the Affair--a section entitled "The Way Your Blood Beats." He appears as an important artist of his time, and one of only the two persons Georgia O'Keefe ever drew. The book also calls attention to the ways in which he inspired James Baldwin, who called him "the first living proof, for me, that a black man could be an artist," and "a cross between Brer Rabbit and St. Francis of Assisi." Beauford helped James find a way to pay for his father's funeral when he was still a teenager. They later traveled together in Europe.

Book spread from The Art of the Affair
Image courtesy of Forsyth Harmon

Les Amis: Did you decide to include him in the book or did Catherine Lacey?

FH: I can't recall which of us pulled in Beauford! I do remember curating this chapter in Catherine's Fort Greene apartment over dinner. It was a wonderful night!

Les Amis: What inspired you and / or Lacey to include him in the book?

FH: As a portrait artist myself, I have always been a fan of Beauford's work. It wasn't until later in life that I realized an organization founded by my family, The Harmon Foundation, had frequently exhibited his early pastel portraits during the1930s and 1940s. The Foundation supported a variety of causes, but is best known for having served as a patron of African-American art during the Harlem Renaissance, helping African-American artists gain the recognition they deserved.

Les Amis: What inspired your watercolor of Beauford? Was it a photo portrait, one of his self-portraits ... ?

FH: I generally use multiple sources to inspire my portraits. In this case, I used a combination of photographs and Beauford's self-portraits, but was probably most inspired by a photograph taken by Rue Guilleminot in France in 1973. I did my best to capture his expression in this photograph ... knowing, bemused, and perhaps a bit exhausted.

Beauford Delaney
Rue Guilleminot
France 1973
© Errol Sawyer

Les Amis: You are donating the proceeds from the sale of your Beauford Delaney portrait to support the library at the A. J. William-Myers African Roots Center. What is your relationship with the center?

FH: I am local to the A. J. William-Myers African Roots Center, which is headquartered in Kingston, New York. I've been inspired by the work the organization does around literacy and the advancement of historical knowledge, cultural enrichment, civic engagement and social justice. Over the past two years, The Harmon Foundation has included the center in its annual funding disbursement at my direction.

Les Amis: Has anyone purchased the portrait of Beauford, allowing you to donate to the Center?

FH: I am making the donation.

Les Amis: How well do you know Beauford's work?

FH: I'm not an expert! Although now I'm inspired to learn more.

Les Amis: What, if anything, about it inspires you?

FH: I find so much movement and depth of emotion in his portraits especially. The subject paint application embodies a lot of energy, and the background washes feel almost auric, creating a kind of halo. I feel they offer true access into the subject's internal state.

Les Amis: Are there any final thoughts you'd like to share?

FH: Just gratitude for the opportunity to support the A. J. William-Myers African Roots Center by celebrating Beauford Delaney. Thank you!

Istanbul Calling - A Recordbreaking Sale

On Octobr 14, 2022, Christie's London hosted a Post-War & Contemporary Art Day auction under the umbrella title "Istanbul Calling" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and benefit the institution’s new Young Artists Fund.

As I reported on October 1, two Beauford Delaney portraits belonging to the estate of Turkish actress, theater director and owner, author, and television media personality Gülriz Sururi were put up for sale during this auction.

The estimated sale price of the Sururi portrait was 150,000-200,000 GBP.

Gülriz Sururi
(1966) oil on canvas
39 3/8 x 29 7/8in. (100 x 76cm.)
Signed and dated 'Beauford Delaney 1966' (lower left)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

It sold for 189,000 GBP ($211,883), including Buyer's Premium.

The estimated sale price of the Baldwin portrait was 180,000-230,000 GBP.

James Baldwin
(1966) oil on canvas
39 1/2 x 29 7/8in. (100.2 x 76cm.
)signed and dated 'Beauford Delaney 1966' (lower left)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

It sold for 1,026,000 GBP ($1,150,114), including Buyer's Premium.

Christie's describes this as "the top price of the afternoon" for the auction. It names Beauford as one of three artists who "lead Christie’s 20th/21st Century Frieze Week season in London".

The auction house also declared the sale price of the Baldwin portrait "a record price for the artist." It identifies the hightest price that a Beauford Delaney fetched at auction prior to Istanbul Calling was the untitled 1948 painting, subtitled Village Street Scene, which sold for $557,000, including Buyer's Premium, at Swann Auction Galleries' African American Fine Art Sale in April 2018.

Beauford Delaney News

Here are a few tidbits of news about Beauford's work, gathered from a Google search a few days ago.

New Orleans Auction Galleries Sale

On October 9, 2022, New Orleans Auction Galleries sold the untitled Beauford Delaney gouache on paper pictured below for $17,500.

Untitled
(1969) Gouache on paper
Sheet 8-1/2" x 6-1/4", framed 14-1/4" x 11-3/4"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Beauford at the Art Institute of Chicago

Beauford's iconic 1944 self-portrait and Norman Lewis' Multitudes are being juxtaposed with several closed-form sculptures by Toshiko Takaezu in Gallery 262 at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Self-portrait
(1944) Oil on canvas
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
By permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Find an image of the display here: https://www.artic.edu/highlights/49/a-aapi-artists

Watercolor Portrait of Beauford Delaney Being Sold for Charity

Portrait of Beauford Delaney
(2017) Watercolor on paper
Forsyth Harmon

You'll find this beautiful portrait of Beauford in a book called The Art of the Affair: An Illustrated History of Love, Sex, and Artistic Influence by Catherine Lacey.

Forsyth Harmon is selling the portrait for $150 and has pledged to donate all proceeds to the Library at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center, an organization that promotes literacy through teaching and learning about the African roots experience, including history and culture, through a dynamic exchange of information, ideas, and creativity.

Find information and purchase the work here: https://forsythharmon.com/Beauford-Delaney

Sold and To Be Sold 2

SOLD

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the impending auction of Beauford's Ciel (Sky) color screenprint no. 22/36 by Swann Auction Galleries. 

Ciel (Sky)
(1960) Color screenprint
Signed, titled, dated, and numbered 22/36 in pencil, lower margin
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The sale took place on October 6, 2022, and the piece sold for $10,000, including Buyer's Premium. 

TO BE SOLD

On October 9, 2022, New Orleans Auction Galleries will offer an untitled Beauford Delaney gouache on paper for sale during a two-day estates auction.  

Untitled
(1969) Gouache on paper
Sheet 8-1/2" x 6-1/4", framed 14-1/4" x 11-3/4"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

They describe the work (Lot 109) as follows:

"In this later abstract work by Delaney, the artist employs a limited yet sophisticated color palette of vivid hues to create an almost rhythmic exploration of the interplay of color and form."

This signed, framed work is estimated to sell for $15,000 to $25,000. 

 Untitled (detail)
(1969) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

For information about this sale, click HERE.

Sale of Beauford Delaney Portraits to Support Charitable Causes

Over the years, I've published three articles about the time Beauford spent in Istanbul:

Beauford and Baldwin in Istanbul

Beauford in Istanbul

Sedat Pakay's Tribute to Beauford

A few days ago, I learned that two works created by Beauford during this sojourn are being auctioned for charity.

Christie's London is hosting two auctions under the umbrella title "Istanbul Calling" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and benefit the institution’s new Young Artists Fund.  The sales catalog states that "Highlights include two enchanting portraits by Beauford Delaney painted in Turkey and held in the same private collection since 1966..." 

That collection belongs to the estate of Gülriz Sururi (1929-2018), a Turkish actress, theater director and owner, author, and television media personality. She and her husband, actor Engin Cezzar (1935-2017), were dear friends of James Baldwin. Beauford met the couple during his 1966 visit to Istanbul.

The portraits portray James Baldwin (Lot 287) and Gülriz Sururi (Lot 288).

Screenshot from Christie's Website

Find vibrant images of these portraits and read the lot essays about them on Christie's Website at the links below:

James Baldwin

Gülriz Sururi

The Baldwin portrait is one of two that Beauford created while in Istanbul.  It is one of the "softest" I've seen in terms of the palette Beauford chose to use in portraying his friend.  The estimated sale price of this work is $210,000-$290,000.

The Sururi portrait is another example of Beauford's passion for portraying his subjects in luminous yellow.  The estimated sale price of this work is $180,000-$230,000.

Both portraits will be sold during the Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale on Friday 14 October 2022. The Sururi Estate plans to donate 80% of their net proceeds of sale to Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği (Association for the Support of Contemporary Living), a non-profit NGO in Turkey, and the remaining 20% of their net proceeds of sale to İKSV. The Association for the Support of Contemporary Living helps girls across Turkey to obtain an education.

For more information about the sale, click HERE.

Sold and To Be Sold

 SOLD 

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries of Thomaston, Maine held a three-day live auction called August Splendor 2022 last month. On Day 3 - August 28, 2022 - it offered a Beauford Delaney untitled, undated abstract for sale.

Untitled
(Undated) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The online catalog describes the painting as follows:

"Color Composition, impasto oil on canvas, signed lower right, a blended confetti of pale teal, pink and yellow, unframed, SS: 28 3/4" x 23 1/2", very good condition."

The colors in this work remind me of the ones Beauford used in the more vibrantly colored abstract that the Mint Museum purchased a few years ago.

Untitled
(1959) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The estimated sale price for the work offered by Thomaston Place Galleries was $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $85,000.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has acquired Untitled (ca. 1958), a nearly 5' x 4' oil on canvas as part of its move to increase the number of works in its collection that were created by African American artists.

Untitled
(c. 1958) Oil on canvas
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

 

The museum describes the painting as one of Beauford's "finest and most exuberant achievements."

TO BE SOLD

On October 6, 2022, Swann Auction Galleries will auction Beauford's Ciel, a color screenprint for which 36 prints were made, as Lot number 46. 

Ciel (Sky)
(1960) Color screenprint
Signed, titled, dated, and numbered 22/36 in pencil, lower margin
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Ciel is mentioned in two previous articles on the Les Amis blog:

Where to Find Beauford's Art: Ink Miama Art Fair - Aaron Galleries

Where to Find Beauford's Art: Minneapolis Institute of Arts

An image of MIA's print appears in the catalog entitled Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris, published for the museum's 2004 exhibition of the same name.

The estimated sale price for Ciel (Sky) Print no. 22/36 is $10,000 - $15,000.

For information about Swann's sale, click HERE.

Beauford on Obelisk Art History

I occasionally Google Beauford to see what obscure references to his life and art I can find online. Earlier this week, I found a delightful one - a page on a Website called Obelisk Art History.

Obelisk, formerly known as Trivium, is "a place to explore the wildly diverse world of art history." Created by Reed Enger 10+ years ago, it has evolved from a simple classroom resource to a platform with thousands of images, essays, correspondence, projects, and quizzes for those interested in art history.

In the section called "Artists," Enger has built a page called "Beauford Delaney: Capturing the Sacred Light." It features two sentences about Beauford and images of five of his works, most of which are dominated by the color "yellow." The sentences contain links to four other pages on the site, three of which link back to Beauford's page. Clicking on each image takes you to a page dedicated to the corresponding work, and this page also presents a brief paragraph that contains links to additional pages.

Through an innovative function called "The Kaleidoscope," Enger invites visitors to the site to take "a hypnotic journey through art history." On any given page that features a work of art, you'll find a rotating "gear" between the images of the work and the text describing it. Click on it, and you're taken to a new page where the work is transformed into a constantly changing pattern reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. This is absolutely mesmerizing!

Enger selected two abstracts and three portraits for "Capturing the Sacred Light." Here are a few screenshots of the kaleidoscopic images from these works.

Kaleidoscope - Portrait of Howard Swanson

Kaleidoscope - Composition 16

Kaleidoscope - Portrait of Marian Anderson

Kaleidoscope - Abstraction No. 4

Kaleidoscope - Portrait of James Baldwin

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this way this site transforms images of artwork from classical to contemporary into ever changing geometric forms. Write to me at amisdebeauford@yahoo.com to let me know!

Beauford's Studio as Described by Larry Calcagno

Beauford met Larry Calcagno in Paris soon after Beauford's arrival, and the two men became dear friends. They frequently exchanged letters through which they conveyed not only the details of their daily lives, but also their love for each other. 

Calcagno was a painter and as such, he was acutely sensitive to the environment in which Beauford created his art. In a handwritten document, he described Beauford's studio as follows: 

"Beauford Delaney paints with joy each day, sitting beneath an enormous potted tree in his studio in Paris. A white island shining in a grey sea, it is filled with his inner light. Walls, floor, bed and chair, stacks of paintings and memorabilia — all covered with white — draperies, bedsheets, paper, a white shroud ... 

"He puts everything away, literally out of sight — the past, the world, painful histories, frustration, and suffering. He paints with an enormous faith and serenity those he loves, who love him; in his world of white — [indecipherable] moves in a world of new beginnings."

Though Calcagno's document is undated, his description of the tree in the studio implies that he is describing the creative space at Beauford's rue Vercingétorix apartment.

Beauford at his rue Vercingétorix studio
Screenshot from Henry Miller vu par ses amis 

Beauford moved to this address long after Calcagno left Paris, and Calcagno visited him there in 1966 and 1972.

I found this document touching because of Calcagno's description of the emotional state he felt Beauford experienced in painting.  Whether he thought Beauford summoned his faith to achieve serenity in order to paint the people he loved, or that Beauford's faith was strengthened and serenity achieved by the act of painting them, we cannot know.

Find additional posts about Beauford and Larry Calcagno at the links below:

Beauford and Larry Calcagno

Beauford and Larry Calcagno: The Letters 

Larry Calcagno's Portrait of Beauford 

Beauford in Spain 

Larry Calcagno's Portrait of Beauford 

A Boundless Love: Beauford's Letters to Larry Calcagno

One Good Beauford Story Inspired Another

On July 2, 2022, I published a post about a splendid article that Scalawag Magazine published about Beauford.

Today, I'm sharing the backstory regarding this article. 

Elaine Lee is one of America’s leading experts on travel. A San Francisco/Bay Area-based journalist, she has visited 65 countries and completed two solo trips around the world. She is the editor of “Go Girl” The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure," and her website, ugogurl.com, is a leading portal for information on black travel, black travel writing and travel media information. She and I have known each other for many years. 

I subscribe to the UGoGirl newsletter, and on Wednesday, August 31, I was thrilled to receive the message below (reprinted with permission). It is entitled "My Story about Delaney Didn't Make It to Press, but at Least I Inspired Another":

Greetings!

I hope this email finds you well. 

When I visited Paris in 2019, I attended a play called Amazing Grace is Yellow – the Life of Beauford Delaney, Painter, written by Silver Wainhouse. Afterward, I spoke to Monique about the play as well as the documentary that she and Zach (Miller) were working on. I offered to write an article to help publicize their project and the growing resurgence of interest in Delaney's work.

I designed a pitch and sent it everywhere I could think of.  I got nowhere - until I contacted Scalawag magazine, whose editor asked to see the story. Though she did not like it, she liked the idea and assigned the project to another writer, Tyra Seals, who did a fabulous job. 

Photo courtesy of Darthea Speyer Gallery

Even though my story about Delaney didn't make it to press, at least I inspired a magazine editor and another writer to carry out the project. There's no such thing as a small victory!

Below is the link to the story:

Out of the Shadows: The Queer Life of Artist Beauford Delaney

I am grateful to Elaine Lee for her grace and humility in sharing this story with her audience and for allowing me to share it with you!

Elaine Lee at Amazing Grace is Yellow
© Entrée to Black Paris

Summertime ...

... and the livin' is easy.

Les Amis de Beauford Delaney is taking a summertime break to do some "easy living" over the next few weeks.

As you navigate the heat of the season, I hope you enjoy these rich, warm images of several of Beauford's yellow abstract works and this beautiful rendition of the song "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

Untitled (Abstraction)
(1964) Oil on linen canvas
National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

 

 

Untitled
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Abstraction No. 4
(ca. 1965) Oil on canvas
signed 'Beauford Delaney' (upper right)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

 

 

Untitled
(1961) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Beauford and Elwood Peterson

Elwood Peterson lived in Paris for over 15 years, arriving two to three years before Beauford set sail for France in 1953. A classical singer who used GI Bill benefits to train at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, he met Beauford in 1956 through an introduction by their mutual friend, composer Howard Swanson.

Negro Spirituals - promotional graphic
Fair use claim

Biographer David Leeming mentions Peterson several times in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney. Several elements in the Beauford Delaney archive now held by the University of Tennessee Knoxville illuminate the relationship between the two men.

Leeming states that Beauford was greatly pleased by a concert in which Peterson performed in Fall/Winter 1962. The archive contains a note handwritten by Beauford, which says "Thursday Elwood Howard" and "concert du next week negro. Beauford wrote "Oct 13," "Dec am centre," and the words "apre [sic] midi" (afternoon) and "evening" on this note, as well as other unrelated information.

The archive also includes Peterson's handwritten invitation to Beauford to "come to the Center to see our opera" and an accompanying envelope postmarked November 21, 1962. In the invitation, Peterson notes that "Howard" (Swanson) has seen the opera and will attend the performance a second time and mentions that he has not yet been able to visit Beauford in his new home (the studio on rue Vercingétorix). He says he'll try to send Beauford a formal invitation to the event.

Handwritten invitation to opera - detail
Photo by Les Amis de Beauford Delaney

I found the following quotation in a card Peterson sent to Beauford, most likely during the Christmas season of 1966*:

"You were off galavanting again when I was "called" to teach in California ....

"I pray all is well with you and trust that all works so that we may see each other again next summer. I mean yet to have a Beauford Delaney on my wall!"

In 1967, Beauford painted a portrait of Peterson and gave it to his subject.

Elwood Peterson
(1967) Oil on canvas
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo from Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney

According to Leeming, Peterson expressed surprise at the youthful countenance Beauford bestowed on him in the work, to which Beauford replied:

"... when you sing you become eighteen again, and that's what I wanted to capture."

I have not read any correspondence that Beauford addressed to Peterson. But it is apparent from Peterson's notes and letters to Beauford that he held Beauford in high esteem and felt close to him. For several of the writings held in the archive, he used the closing salutation "Bless you" or "Love."

*In September 1966, Jet Magazine reported that Peterson left Paris to accept a position at Pomona College in Claremont, California.

Beauford Featured in Scalawag Magazine

"Through journalism and storytelling, Scalawag works in solidarity with oppressed communities in the South to disrupt and shift the narratives that keep power and wealth in the hands of the few. Collectively, we pursue a more liberated South."

This is the mission statement of Scalawag Magazine, a Black-led, women run, nonprofit media outlet in Durham, NC that publishes works focused on Southern politics and culture. Launched through a Kickstarter campaign in 2015, its founders intend to challenge the status quo of the South through community-based journalism. One of the four values listed on its "About" page is "Radical imagination and creativity," which is a perfect descriptor for Beauford's art.

On June 29, 2022, Scalawag published a feature article about Beauford called "Out of the Shadows: The Queer Life of Artist Beauford Delaney." It was written by Tyra A. Seals, the independent research assistant at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery who conducted archival research and developed the most updated existing chronology about Beauford Delaney for the MRG exhibition entitled Be Your Wonderful Self: The Portraits of Beauford Delaney.

Seals interviewed me for this article, and I was pleased to contribute the "before and after" photos of Beauford's grave that illustrate it.

Read the article HERE.