Beauford's Street Scenes
People who are familiar with work from Beauford's New York years undoubtedly know about his Greene Street paintings.
Beauford created many additional works that are called "Street Scene" or something similar. I thought it would be fun to display them together in this blog posts.
All but one of the works represented below were created well before Beauford left NYC for Paris in 1953.
Watercolor on paper
15 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches
Purchased with funds provided by the KMA’s Collectors Circle2, 2014
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1945) Oil on canvas
Image by Manu Sasoonian, from Amazing Grace
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1946) Oil and mixed media on masonite
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1948) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated in oil, lower left.
Image from Swann Auction Galleries Web site
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford Delaney
(1953) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The oil painting below was created 15 years after Beauford arrived in Paris. I believe it represents the elevated train (metro) that serves the south and southwest parts of the city.
(1968) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated "BEAUFORD DELANEY 1968" lower right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The James Baldwin Centennial
August 2, 2024 was the 100th anniversary of James Baldwin's birth.
Les Amis joins individuals and organizations on both sides of the Atlantic in commemorating this date by acknowledging the profound impact that Beauford's love and influence had on the shaping of the one of the 20th century's most formidable literary giants.
Baldwin's name appears dozens of times in this blog, and multiple images of portraits Beauford created of him are also displayed here.
Following are images of (perhaps) lesser known portraits of his dear friend.
(1945) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image - Screenshot from YouTube video
Judd Tully - Beauford and Joseph Delaney, Their Life and Art
James Baldwin
(1966) oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1966) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1971) Oil on canvas
Bequest of James Baldwin
Image courtesy of Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
For information about the James Baldwin Centennial Festival, which will be held in Paris from September 9-13, 2024, click HERE.
Case Antiques Auction Results
Last week, Case Antiques of Knoxville, TN placed four (4) works on paper from the Beauford Delaney Estate up for sale during its Two Day Summer Fine Arts and Antiques sale.
(c. 1930s) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $10,000
(1963) Charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $4,000 - $4,400
(Undated) Pastel on Paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $9,000
(1966) Ink on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $3,400 - $3,800
All of them sold.
The pastel portraits fetched the best prices of the group: Portrait of a Man Smoking a Pipe sold for $9,760 and Portrait of a Man with Glasses and Necktie sold for $7,320.
The ink on paper landscape of Istanbul sold for $4,148, and the charcoal on paper portrait sold for $3,416.
All sale prices listed above include a 22% buyer's premium.
For additional information about the sales (the July 6 and July 7 auctions are listed separately), click HERE.
Case Auctions Offers Four Beauford Delaney Works on Paper for Sale
Today and tomorrow, Case Auctions of Knoxville, TN is offering four (4) works on paper from the Beauford Delaney Estate for purchase during its Two Day Summer Fine Arts and Antiques sale.
Lots 168 and 169 will be auctioned on July 6, 2024:
(c. 1930s) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $10,000
(1963) Charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $4,000 - $4,400
(1963) Charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
While I have seen 1930s portraits done by Beauford that are consistent with the style of Portrait of a Man Smoking a Pipe, I have not seen any 1963 portraits that compare to Portrait of a Black Man.
Lots 1087 and 1088 will be auctioned on July 7, 2024:
(Undated) Pastel on Paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $9,000
(1966) Ink on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $3,400 - $3,800
(1966) Ink on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The ink on paper landscape entitled Istanbul, Turkey is signed and dated 1966.
I have published images of two additional Istanbul landscapes with the same date in past blog posts: an oil on paper in "Beauford in Istanbul" and a watercolor in "Another June Sale."
All the works being auctioned by Case this weekend bear the stamp of Beauford's estate.
For information about the sale, click HERE.
Bob Mair on Beauford
Bob Mair is the founder/owner/CEO of Black Toast Music, an Indie music publishing company. He is also a musician and composer.
Mair wrote to me a few days ago in search of information about Grèce, one of two paintings shown during the 2016 Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition in Paris that are currently in his collection.
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Our lively email exchange about this work inspired me to extend a request an interview, which he accepted.
Read it below.
Les Amis: When did you first learn about Beauford Delaney?
BM: I believe it was 2013 when Jim Levis first showed me works by Beauford. I was enamored by the work but I hadn’t developed quite the eye to understand what I was looking at. I knew the work was good, I could feel it, but I didn’t understand why. His work was so different than what I was collecting at the time. I wish I could go back in time, as those works are now long gone.
Les Amis: What attracts you to his work?
BM: There is something that Beauford understood and was able to capture in his work. It was beyond just the physical and tactile, he was able to paint the essence of things. The people he painted (the portraits) as well as the pure abstract works he painted all had a thread that connected them. I don’t know if he was a Buddhist, but he was able to capture the “no separation”, the entirety of things. The whole of what is. Physical, spiritual, light and dark. And over time, as I have studied the work, I believe that some of the paintings that are perceived as pure abstract are actually portraits. No separation.
Les Amis: When did you begin collecting his work?
BM: I began collecting his work in 2017. I was at a viewing with Jim Levis in Long Island City. Jim had quite a bit of art on the walls - things he knew I was drawn to as well as some things that he wanted to test the waters with to see if I might be drawn to them. I wasn’t so sure about anything he had shown me on that particular day.
My daughter and Jim’s partner, Jamie Black, left the room and went into the hallway. Outside, Jim had a cart of other paintings that were pulled for another client to view after we left. My daughter Rachel said, "Dad, I really like this painting." It was Untitled 1970 by Beauford.
(1970) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I was so excited. I felt that my earlier sense of Delaney’s work from years ago had been validated. My daughter has a fantastic eye and I felt it was meant to be. So – that was the first Delaney that was added to my collection.
Les Amis: Of the four works that you own, which is your favorite and why?
BM: I really don’t have a favorite. I love them all. Each work stands on its own for different reasons. That being said, in my opinion, these are all stellar works by an amazing man and artist, and I’m very lucky to be the current caretaker of these works. They cover a wide swath of what he experienced, who and what he loved, as well as the fact that they are some of the best examples of the “no separation” understanding that Beauford was able to convey in his work.
Les Amis: What type of research are you performing on Beauford's work and why?
BM: I’m a bit OCD as well as a bit ADD so I love getting hyper focused and going down the “rabbit hole.” I look for hard to find out of print exhibition catalogs, essays, books, museum catalogs, etc. for every artist I collect as well as artists that I’d like to collect. My Art Book collection is quite extensive at this point. It’s a passion.
I love to learn, to expand, to understand all I can in regard to the art, the artists, the struggle, and the history of why there even “was a struggle for them.” These artists experienced things in their lifetime that I will never experience, yet it is so valuable to embrace history and learn from it.
(1969) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Les Amis: Did Beauford's work ever influence your work as a musician?
BM: Beauford’s work actually complimented my work as a musician. His work is an extension of my love of jazz. It expresses a deeper expression of what is similar to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, etc.
By having Beauford’s work in my home, I feel a constant reminder of the best of what is and what could be. Having his work hang in my home is like having my walls filled with Zen Koans. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such talent and artistry. The ability to overcome the boundaries that Beauford was faced with is a constant reminder to me as an artist to keep going no matter what.
Les Amis: Do you have any additional thoughts that you'd like to contribute?
BM: I would like to see Beauford Delaney’s work get more interest from museums. His story is so amazing and his work should really be shared with the public on a much larger scale.
I’m a huge fan of loaning artwork so that it’s able to be seen and experienced by others who can learn and open their eyes to what is possible. I love having his work on my walls, but I think it’s selfish to not be willing to share the experience.
(1968) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford’s story and work is a fantastic example of what is possible. I’d love to see a beautiful film created that shows the life and times of Beauford - his childhood, his struggles, his associations with people like James Baldwin, which all culminated in such amazing art.
Recent auction sales
Last week, Christie's New York and Black Art Auction in St. Louis, MO auctioned Beauford Delaney works.
Christie's sold an untitled Beauford Delaney abstract at its Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale on May 17, 2024.
(1967) Oil on canvas
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Beauford Delaney Paris 1967’
(on the reverse)
31 ¾ x 23 ¾ in. (80.6 x 60.2 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford painted this work sometime in 1967. Though this was a tumultuous year for him due to his concern over the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and multiple illnesses, he also experienced the joy of spending time with James Baldwin in Cannes during the summer and with Henry Miller in Paris during the fall.
Christie's estimated that Untitled would sell for between $100,000 and $150,000.
The painting sold for $378,000, including a 26% buyer's premium.
On May 18, 2024, Black Art Auction sold a mixed media on paper self-portrait of Beauford during its May Signature Auction.
(1964) Mixed media drawing on paper
10 x 8 inches
signed
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford produced this work in 1964, the year he received a Fairfield Foundation grant of $3,500 and had a solo art exhibition at the Lambert Gallery on the Ile Saint-Louis. Its estimated sale price was $3,000 - $5,000.
It sold for $8,000, including a 25% buyer's premium.
Beauford Potpourri 3
The Art Story - Beauford Delaney
The Art Story has published a thoughtful and easily digestible summary of Beauford's life and artistic influence.
Beginning with his birth date, death date, and a timeline,
it is presented in six sections:
- Summary
- Accomplishments
- Important Art
- Biography
- Influences and Connections
- Useful Resources
It even mentions Les Amis de Beauford Delaney at the end of the biography section!
University of Tennessee Humanities Center Director Amy J. Elias wrote a scintillating evaluation of an untitled 1969 tempura work on paper that was shown in the Transcending Race & Time exhibition at the UT Downtown Gallery in 2020-2021.
Beauford used the front page of the May 24-25, 1969 edition of the International Herald Tribune as the support medium for this work, deliberately choosing to paint over the article published about the 1969 Greensboro Uprising.
Letters Reveal Beauford Delaney and Palmer Hayden’s Lifelong Friendship
This brief article presents images of correspondence by Palmer and Miriam Hayden that mentions Beauford as well as a letter that Beauford wrote to his brother, Joseph Delaney. It includes an image of paintings by Beauford and Hayden that were shown in proximity during the Dirty South exhibition that was hosted by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AK in 2022.
(1941) Oil on paperboard
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The third link at the end of this article leads to a recording of an excellent conversation between Kristi McMillan, Director of Learning and Engagement at the Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina, and Dr. Mary Campbell, Professor of Art History at the University of Tennessee Knoxville regarding the Through the Unusual Door exhibition that was mounted by the Knoxville Museum of Art in 2020 and the Beauford Delaney's Metamorphosis into Freedom exhibition mounted by the Asheville Art Museum in 2021.
To read previously published Beauford Potpourri articles, click on the links below.
A Chance Meeting Features Beauford's Art on Cover
Rachel Cohen is a Beauford Delaney aficionada and a superb writer.
She send me the following message a few days ago:
I am delighted that New York Review of Books Classics is reissuing my first book A Chance Meeting at its 20th anniversary. The book traces more than a century of encounters among American writers and artists. The new edition has a wonderful Beauford Delaney cover, a forward by Vijay Seshadri and a new afterword by me, and it goes on sale tomorrow, March 19th. The book is NYRB's March book of the month; information and a way to purchase are here.
The artwork that graces the cover of the latest edition of Cohen's book is Untitled (Village Street Scene), (1948) Oil on canvas.
Since 2014, Les Amis has published five articles that feature Cohen's insightful commentary on Beauford's life and art. Her work is a joy to read!
Find links to the articles below.
Rachel Cohen's Tribute to Beauford
Rachel's Musings: Three Articles about Beauford
Stephen Wicks and Rachel Cohen Discuss Baldwin Portrait: Part 1
Stephen Wicks and Rachel Cohen Discuss Baldwin Portrait: Part 2
Christie's to Auction Beauford Delaney Work on Paper
On March 13, 2024, Christie's Paris will host its Post-War to Present auction.
Beauford's Red, Yellow, Orange will be among the works available for purchase.
Red, Yellow, Orange
(1963) Gouache on paper
signed, inscribed and dated 'Beauford Delaney Paris 1963' (lower right)
signed again and stamped with the Estate of Beauford Delaney stamp 'Beauford Delaney' (on the reverse)
25 ½ x 19 ½ in. (64.8 x 49.5 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This work was shown at the Beauford Delaney: Internal Light exhibition mounted by Levis Fine Art in May-June 2013.
In 1963, Beauford was under the care of the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Gaston Ferdière.
Biographer David Leeming writes that "With Dr. Ferdière's help Beauford was exploring himself more profoundly than he had been willing to do in the past."
He also writes that Spring 1963 "brought a new burst of painting and a concentrated attempt to translate the 'long interims of probity into our thoughts' into paintings 'which are never what our inner vision expected.'"
I wonder whether the fiery nature of Red, Yellow, Orange is a representation of this effort.
The estimated sale price of Red, Yellow, Orange is $40,000 – $60,000.
For information about the auction, click HERE.
KMA Loans Beauford Delaney Works to National and International Venues
From the desk of Stephen Wicks, Barbara A. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator at the Knoxville Museum of Art:
The Knoxville Museum of Art is pleased to be able to support loan requests from several museums wishing to borrow works from the KMA’s extensive holdings by Knoxville-born modernist master Beauford Delaney.
Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN, March 2024-March 2025
Exhibition summary: Two works on paper by Beauford Delaney for display in the museum’s collection galleries. The Hunter owns no works by the artist and its curatorial team is hopeful this year-long loan will help them generate additional support for a Delaney acquisition.
Art work:
Watercolor and gouache on paper, 25 ½ x 19 ½ inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2015 purchase with funds provided by
the Rachael Patterson Young Art Acquisition Reserve
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled (Yellow, Red, and Black Circles for James Baldwin, Istanbul), 1966
Watercolor and gouache on paper, 25 5/8 x 19 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2018 Beauford Delaney Acquisition
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by Permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Americans in Paris exhibition/tour, March 2024-June 2025:
- Grey Art Museum/NYU, March 2-mid-July 2024
- Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA, September 2024-January 2025
- NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, February-June 2025
Blue-Light Abstraction, circa 1962
Oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 21 1/2 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2018 Beauford Delaney Acquisition
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Paris Noir exhibition, March 19-June 30, 2025
Untitled (African Figure), circa 1968
Oil and watercolor monoprint on paper, 25 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2018 Beauford Delaney Acquisition
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Scattered Light, 1964
Oil on canvas, 39 x 24 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art,
2015 purchase with funds provided by
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
While promoting the KMA’s Delaney collection, these loans are an important means of supporting important museum exhibitions organized by distinguished colleagues, and bringing Beauford Delaney’s extraordinary life and work to the attention of museum audiences around the world.
Living an Inner Life and Learning
"I work and live an inner life and learn."
Biographer David Leeming quotes Beauford as saying this in a letter to Larry Wallrich that he dated February 2, 1957.
Upon reading this, I decided to look for works by Beauford that are dated 1957.
I found surprisingly few of them.
Monique and Beauford's Untitled
(1957) Oil on canvas
114,2 x 162 cm / 44.9 x 63.8 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo © Discover Paris!
(c. 1957) Oil on canvas board
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
What was Beauford living and learning at this period of his life?
By early 1957, he had lived a year at the Clamart studio. During this time, he "returned seriously to portrait painting" and began working with Paul Facchetti and Darthea Speyer to sell his art.
He sent paintings to be shown at the First New York Exposition of Progress - an event that touted the progress of the Negro - at the Wanamaker Building in Manhattan, contributed works to a group show for "Abstract American" artists at the Galerie Arnaud, and had his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Prisme.
Illustrated double-sided flier (recto)
Fair use claim
To combat depression, he read Buddhist writings, enjoyed the company of friends, and painted.
Case Antiques Sold Two Beauford Delaney Works
Case Auctions sold both Beauford Delaney works offered during its Fine Arts, Antiques, and Jewelry auction on January 27.
Untitled (Ibiza) (Lot 128) went for $10,980.00, including a 22% buyer's premium.
(1956) gouache and watercolor
18" H x 11 7/8" W
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price was $12,000 - $14,000.
.Yellow Abstraction
(Lot 129) sold for $24,400.00, including a 22% buyer's premium.
(1961) gouache on paper
10 1/2" H x 8" W
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price was $10,000 - $12,000.
.For more information about the auction, click HERE.
Two Beauford Delaney Works for Sale Today
Case Antiques is holding its Fine Arts, Antiques, and Jewelry auction today and tomorrow (January 27 and 28, 2024).
Among the works for sale are two pieces by Beauford:
(1956) gouache and watercolor
18" H x 11 7/8" W
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1961) gouache on paper
10 1/2" H x 8" W
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Both are in excellent condition.
We featured Untitled (Ibiza) in a recent blog post entitled "Ibiza Watercolors."
It was shown in the Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris exhibition organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (November 20, 2004 - February 20, 2005).Yellow Abstraction was shown in the exhibition entitled Beauford Delaney: Internal Light that was organized by Levis Fine Art in 2013. Les Amis has published multiple articles about this show:
BEAUFORD DELANEY: INTERNAL LIGHT
Jim Levis on Beauford Delaney: Internal Light
Ba'lls to the Wa'll, Y'all - Part 1 and Part 2
Conversations with Beauford - Part 1 and Part 2
Beauford: His Art and His Light
The estimated sale price for Untitled (Ibiza) is $12,000 - $14,000, while the estimate for Yellow Abstraction is $10,000 - $12,000.
For information about the auction, click HERE.Beauford at the Montréal Contemporary Art Museum
The Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal (MACM), Montreal's contemporary art museum, owns two works by Beauford.
Sans titre, 1963 Huile sur toile
Collection Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
Photo : MACM
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Madame Biocci, 1967
Charcoal and gouache on paper mounted on cardboard
Collection Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
Photo : MACM
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Both were given to the museum by Guy Joussemet, a prominent art collector who knew Beauford and received the works directly from him. MACM's records indicate that Beauford gave Joussement the abstract oil painting at his rue Vercingétorix studio.
I have not yet been able to determine how the two men met.
Madame Biocci (1967) was painted on newsprint, the text of which appears to be in Italian.
In 1966, Beauford traveled to Venice with his two dear friends, Larry Calcagno and Charley Boggs, to visit the Venice Biennale. Perhaps he obtained the newspaper on which he painted this portrait during that trip.
I do not know if he met Madame Biocci on this trip or at another time, or even if she is an actual person.
Neither work is currently on display at MACM.
Rachel Cohen on Beauford
I'm away from the office for the next few weeks and not able to fully concentrate on the stories I'm developing for the blog.
Because I don't want to "press pause" on the publishing schedule, for this week's post I'm taking the liberty of sharing content that Rachel Cohen wrote about Beauford.
She has penned some of the most thoughtful commentary on Beauford's work that I've ever read!
I'm sure you'll enjoy this June 2020 piece, which is entitled
"Beauford Delaney and James Baldwin, Notes of Native Sons."
(1948) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated in oil, lower left.
Image from Swann Auction Galleries Web site
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Ibiza Watercolors
A work on paper from Beauford's Clamart years will be auctioned on January 27, 2024.
It is a watercolor and gouache that bears the name of the island of Ibiza above his signature.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The announcement of the sale reminded me that Beauford created several watercolors when he traveled to Ibiza with his dear friend, Larry Calcagno, in 1956.
While on the island, Beauford wrote to Henry Miller of the beauty and power of
the Mediterranean and its surrounding, of the watercolors he was doing,
and how he was "trying to say with my life the unsayable."
Here are images of other works he created during that trip.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(ca. 1956) Gouache on wove paper
Signed lower left and lower right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image supplied by Levis Fine Art
In Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, biographer David Leeming indicated that Beauford and Calcagno were joined by James Baldwin, Leslie Schenk, and Baldwin's friend Arnold, and said that Baldwin wrote to a friend how important Beauford's relationship with Calcagno was.
Beauford and his friends spent the month of August together, visiting Majorca as well as Ibiza. Leeming noted that the trip was the "real bright spot of the summer...".
Where to Find Beauford's Art - Tennessee State Museum
When I read Matthew Gailani's article entitled "A Man of His Word - the Life and Art of Beauford Delaney," I was reminded that Tennessee State Museum (TSM) in Nashville holds three works by Beauford and that it loaned its brilliant self-portrait of Beauford to the Knoxville Museum of Art for the Through the Unusual Door exhibition in 2020.
Works by Beauford and Joseph Delaney
© Tennessee State Museum
I contacted Gailani to ask what inspired his article and to inquire about the works that the museum holds. Find the interview below.
Les Amis: What prompted you to write "A Man of His Word: The Art and Life of Beauford Delaney"?
MG: What initially prompted writing the article/blog was encouragement from and conversations with colleagues here at the Museum. We are always looking at ways to highlight more parts of our collection, and digital blogs/content has really helped us do that.
Our museum covers Tennessee history from the geological formation of the state to the present. As a result, articles, and blogs like this allow us to dive deeper into stories like that of Beauford Delaney, as well as other artists, events, and topics.
With all the great work being done in Knoxville by institutions like the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, the Knoxville Museum of Art, the artist’s estate, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (just to name a few) to preserve and share Beauford Delaney’s art and story, we wanted to write something that acknowledged their work, offered readers a brief overview of Delaney’s life, and highlighted a few of the works in our own collection.
Furthermore, after spending some time down the street at the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library at Fisk University, we wanted to add a bit about some primary research we had done there, particularly regarding Beauford Delaney’s experience with the Julius Rosenwald Fund and that of his brother Joseph Delaney.
Les Amis: What inspired the title of the article?
MG: The title itself I chose because of the letter of recommendation Henry Miller wrote for Beauford for his Rosenwald Fund application. In it, Miller wrote:
I can think of no one more capable or more deserving of this award than the above-named applicant who I know personally, whose work I admire and believe in, and whom I have written about precisely in order to call attention to his merits and his needs. He is indeed qualified to undertake the execution of a mural on the subject indicated. He is moreover, scrupulous[ly)?] and loyal, a man of his word. The encouragement offered in this manner will probably mark a turning point in his career. I cannot say too much in his favor.
Les Amis: Which of the works, if any, is currently on display at the museum?
MG: As of December 18, 2023, the Untitled: Self Portrait by Beauford Delaney (2001.46) is on display in the Tennessee State Museum’s “Time Tunnel” gallery, which is located at the heart of the Museum's permanent galleries.
(1964) Oil on canvas
Tennessee State Museum Collection 2001.46
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
When visitors enter the doors into the permanent galleries, they can follow the “Time Tunnel” all the way down to the start of the “Change and Challenge” gallery. This is where Delaney’s portrait is currently located.
Time Tunnel - Change and Challenge Gallery
© Tennessee State Museum
in the Change and Challenge Gallery
© Tennessee State Museum
With that being said, the Museum is always looking into updating its galleries. As a result, in the future, it is possible the work could be rotated to a different gallery, or even loaned.
Les Amis: Talk about the significance of the Time Tunnel and why Beauford's self-portrait was selected to be represented there.
MG: The “Tennessee Time Tunnel” serves as the backbone of the Museum, combining content rich artifacts, exhibits and stories from our permanent collection with engaging media and thought-provoking interactives for a multilayered experience. Visitors can access the permanent exhibition galleries through different entrances through the Time Tunnel, where they will have the opportunity to experience a more in-depth look at that era of the state’s history.
The inclusion of the Beauford Delaney self portrait in the “Time Tunnel” allows for the artist to be prominently featured in the center of the Museum, while having his work included and displayed with that of other Tennessee artists.
Les Amis: Tennessee State Museum showed Beauford's self-portrait in its exhibition entitled A Creative Legacy: African American Arts in Tennessee in 2014. You loaned the self-portrait to the Knoxville Museum of Art for Through the Unusual Door in 2020. Where else have you shown or loaned Beauford's works in the past?
MG: The following is the exhibition history of the three works owned by TSM:
2001.46
A Century of Progress: Twentieth Century Painting in Tennessee, Cheekwood Museum of Art, Traveling Exhibit Cheekwood Museum of Art, West Tennessee Regional Art Center, The Knoxville Museum of Art, The Carroll Reece Museum, The Morris Museum of Art: (July 13, 2002 - November 17, 2003)
Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee, Knoxville Museum of Art (2008)
A Creative Legacy: African American Arts in Tennessee, Tennessee State Museum, (February 11, 2014 - August 31, 2014)
Beauford Delaney and James Baldwin: Through the Unusual Door, Knoxville Museum of Art (February 7, 2020- May 10, 2020)
2010.230.1 and 2010.230.2
Untitled: Abstract by Beauford Delaney
Paris 1961, gouache and watercolor
Tennessee State Museum Collection 2010.230.1
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled: Abstract by Beauford Delaney
Paris 1963, gouache and watercolor
Tennessee State Museum Collection 2010.230.2
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
From Realism to Abstraction: Tennessee Painting 1920 to 1970, Tennessee State Museum (2015-2016)
Black & White: Knoxville in the Jim Crow Era, East Tennessee Historical Society (2020-2021)
Les Amis: What loans of Beauford's work has the museum committed to make in the future?
MG: While nothing official has been announced for the near future, the Museum is always looking at ways to interpret and display parts of its collection, including working with our partner institutions across the state and country to loan pieces.
Les Amis: What relationship does the museum have with Fisk University and the Fisk University Galleries, if any?
MG: I was privileged to work on an exhibit last year titled Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee. This exhibit was in partnership with Fisk University’s John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library, and we worked closely and traveled with staff at Fisk to develop a temporary exhibition and symposium focusing on Rosenwald Schools in the state.
While the exhibit focused on education and school construction in the early 20th century, it also introduced me to the Julius Rosenwald Fund Archives, which are housed at Fisk University. This not only includes information on the Rosenwald School construction program, but the Julius Rosenwald Fund fellowship program, which provided funding to Black artists. Both Beauford and Joseph Delaney were grant applicants in the 1940s.
If it had not been for working with our colleagues at Fisk University and the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library on the previous Rosenwald School exhibit, I must admit I would not have known about the extensiveness of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Archives and the valuable information that is preserved about artists such as Beauford Delaney.
Les Amis: Does the museum intend to acquire additional Beauford Delaney works?
MG: While we have nothing to announce at the moment, the Tennessee State Museum is always actively engaged in looking at potential acquisitions that will advance the Museum’s mission statement to procure preserve, exhibit, and interpret objects which relate to the social, political, economic, and cultural history of Tennessee and Tennesseans, and to provide access to education and cultural programs and exhibitions for the people of the state.
Beauford and Negro Music
In an article about Beauford published by Tennessee State Museum, author Matthew Gailani quotes from Beauford's 1948 application for a Rosenwald Fund grant as follows:
I would like to make a mural and other smaller paintings using Music as my subject. It has not yet been started as I feel I will need a year to make the necessary research into the history of Folk, Indian, Mountain (1600-1947), and Negro Music.... I feel that I especially adapted to this subject as I have always been close to American Negro, Folk, and Jazz music.
Though Beauford had experience working on murals (he contributed to the WPA Harlem Hospital mural in 1935-36) and had already produced works with a jazz theme, his application was unsuccessful.
Today, I'm sharing images of some of the "Negro music"-themed works Beauford created over the course of his life.
(1939) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1940) Pastel on Paper © Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1946) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1952) oil on canvas
36 1/8" x 30 1/8" / 91.8 x 76.5 cm
signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
(1958) Oil on canvas
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Gift of the James F. Dicke Family
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1965) Oil on canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo courtesy of France's Fonds national d'art contemporain
(1968) Oil on canvas
Permanent collection of the SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah
Gift of Dr. Walter O. and Mrs. Linda J. Evans
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
To see additional images with a jazz theme, see the article entitled "All That Jazz."
Black Art Auction Sells Delaney Abstract
On December 2, 2023, Black Art Auction placed one of Beauford's yellow abstract paintings up for sale during its Winter Signature Auction.
(1957-1960) Oil on canvas
31 x 25 inches
signed
Private Collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This painting made its way to Portugal from France prior to being sold online by an auction house in St. Louis, Missouri. Beauford created it during his Clamart years.
The estimated sale price was $100,000-$200,000. It sold for $160,000, including a 28% buyer's premium.
November Sales - La Gazette Drouot
On November 17, La Gazette Drouot auctioned six untitled Beauford Delaney oils and gouaches on paper from the collection of Beauford' friend and supporter, art critic Jean Grenier.
Lot 57
(1962) Gouache on paper
Signed and dated "March 1962" lower right.
74.5 x 53 cm.; 29.3 x 20.9 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 62
(1963) Oil on canvas
Signed, located "Paris," and dated on the back
41 x 33 cm.; 16.1 x 12.9 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 63
(1963) Oil on canvas
Signed, located "Paris," and dated on the back
41 x 33 cm.; 16.1 x 12.9 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 64
(1964) Gouache on paper
Signed, located "Paris," and dated on the lower right.
66 x 50 cm.; 25.9 x 19.7 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 65
(1964) Oil on canvas
Signed, located "Paris," and dated on the back
41 x 33 cm.; 16.1 x 12.9 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 67
(1965) Oil on canvas
Signed, located "Paris," dated, and dedicated
"Pour mon ami mr Jean Grenier..." on the back
41 x 27 cm.; 16.1 x 10.6 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
According to biographer David A. Leeming, Beauford's friend, M. Bioud, introduced Beauford to Jean Grenier in 1962. In Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, Leeming states that Grenier wrote a "glowing article" about Beauford that was published in the June (1962) issue of Preuves.
All auctioned works are dated 1962 to 1965, the beginning of Beauford's life in the studio at rue Vercingétorix. These years were quite productive, and Beauford's work was displayed in multiple group shows in France, the U.S., and Denmark. His one-man show at the Galerie Lambert was held in 1964.
Sale prices for the works were as follows:
Lot 57: Estimated: 5,000€ - 7,000€; Sale - did not sell
Lot 62: Estimated: 10,000€ - 15,000€; Sale - 9,000€ (hammer price - no fees included)
Lot 63: Estimated:40,000€ - 60,000€; Sale - 36,000€ (hammer price - no fees included)
Lot 64: Estimated:6,000€ - 8,000€; Sale - did not sell
Lot 65: Estimated:40,000€ - 60,000€; Sale - 36,000€ (hammer price - no fees included)
Lot 67: Estimated:30,000€ - 50,000€; Sale - did not sell
A seventh work on paper was attributed to Beauford.
Lot 66
(not dated) Gouache on paper pasted in border on cardboard
66 x 47 cm.; 25.9 x 18.5 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Its estimated sale price was 1,000€ - 1,500€.
It did not sell.