Delaney - Downing - Lee: Group Show at the American Cultural Center in Paris - 1961
In 1961, Beauford participated in a three-person show at the American Cultural Center in Paris. The other artists whose works were displayed were painter Joe Downing and sculptor Caroline Lee.
Joe Downing was an abstract expressionist painter and a fellow southerner, hailing from the state of Kentucky and arriving in Paris in 1950. Both he and Beauford loved jazz and they spent many hours listening to music at Downing's apartment in the Marais. Paintings by these two artists also hung together in shows at the Galerie Arnaud in Paris in 1956 and at the American Cultural Center in 1965.
Downing would paint the sign that said "We Love Beauford" for the retrospective that the American Cultural Center mounted of Beauford's work in 1969.
Caroline Lee was also an American artist from Chicago who came to Paris on a Fulbright scholarship in 1958. I am unaware of any social connections that she and Beauford may have had outside of this show.
Darthea Speyer was in charge at the American Cultural Center at the time of the 1961 show. Only a few months afterward, she would take charge of Beauford's affairs when he jumped overboard while sailing to Greece to meet her for a sponsored painting excursion there. Beauford painted an exquisite portrait of her in 1965.
Darthea Speyer
(1965) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Galerie Darthea Speyer
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I located a rare copy of the catalog for the Delaney - Downing - Lee exhibition at the Kandinsky Library at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Delaney - Downing - Lee catalog cover
© Discover Paris!
Art critic Julian Alvard wrote the introduction to the catalog. He was quite familiar with Beauford's work, having included it in a group show that he organized at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 1959. He praised Beauford's art, saying it was "open to all the virtues of the sun" and declaring that Beauford had "found the grace that he sought to achieve."
The catalog contains a single page of information about each artist, including a photo and a short list of expositions. On Beauford's page, the notations for his birth year and the year he arrived in Paris are incorrect.
Beauford's page in the American Cultural Center catalog
© Discover Paris!
The catalog does not contain information about the works shown at the American Cultural Center. However, loose leaf inserts present two works by Caroline Lee, one by Joe Downing, and one by Beauford.
Untitled
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
There was no indication of the media used and no mention of a title or whether the work was dated or signed.
The Delaney-Downing-Lee exposition attracted the attention of the acclaimed art critic Jean Guichard-Meili, who was so captivated by Beauford's work that he arranged a private visit to see Beauford's entire body of work at Beauford's Clamart studio.
Joe Downing was an abstract expressionist painter and a fellow southerner, hailing from the state of Kentucky and arriving in Paris in 1950. Both he and Beauford loved jazz and they spent many hours listening to music at Downing's apartment in the Marais. Paintings by these two artists also hung together in shows at the Galerie Arnaud in Paris in 1956 and at the American Cultural Center in 1965.
Downing would paint the sign that said "We Love Beauford" for the retrospective that the American Cultural Center mounted of Beauford's work in 1969.
Caroline Lee was also an American artist from Chicago who came to Paris on a Fulbright scholarship in 1958. I am unaware of any social connections that she and Beauford may have had outside of this show.
Darthea Speyer was in charge at the American Cultural Center at the time of the 1961 show. Only a few months afterward, she would take charge of Beauford's affairs when he jumped overboard while sailing to Greece to meet her for a sponsored painting excursion there. Beauford painted an exquisite portrait of her in 1965.
(1965) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Galerie Darthea Speyer
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I located a rare copy of the catalog for the Delaney - Downing - Lee exhibition at the Kandinsky Library at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
© Discover Paris!
Art critic Julian Alvard wrote the introduction to the catalog. He was quite familiar with Beauford's work, having included it in a group show that he organized at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 1959. He praised Beauford's art, saying it was "open to all the virtues of the sun" and declaring that Beauford had "found the grace that he sought to achieve."
The catalog contains a single page of information about each artist, including a photo and a short list of expositions. On Beauford's page, the notations for his birth year and the year he arrived in Paris are incorrect.
© Discover Paris!
The catalog does not contain information about the works shown at the American Cultural Center. However, loose leaf inserts present two works by Caroline Lee, one by Joe Downing, and one by Beauford.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
There was no indication of the media used and no mention of a title or whether the work was dated or signed.
The Delaney-Downing-Lee exposition attracted the attention of the acclaimed art critic Jean Guichard-Meili, who was so captivated by Beauford's work that he arranged a private visit to see Beauford's entire body of work at Beauford's Clamart studio.
Beauford and Roland Hayes
Beauford was a huge admirer of Roland Hayes, a singer and composer born in Georgia and raised by sharecropper parents on the plantation where his mother had been a slave. He became an internationally known performer who sang in French, German, and Italian as well as English.
Portrait of Roland Hayes
Robert S. Pious (Robert Savon)
According to the Beauford Delaney biography, Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
, Hayes was a friend of Charles Cansler, who was principal of Knoxville Colored High School and a mentor of Beauford. Beauford learned of Hayes' musical prowess in Knoxville and always admired him. He particularly loved Hayes's renditions of spirituals and black folk music. He would meet Hayes during his Boston years, when he introduced himself to the singer after a concert where Hayes performed with the Boston Symphony.
Click on the video below to hear Hayes sing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
Robert S. Pious (Robert Savon)
According to the Beauford Delaney biography, Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
, Hayes was a friend of Charles Cansler, who was principal of Knoxville Colored High School and a mentor of Beauford. Beauford learned of Hayes' musical prowess in Knoxville and always admired him. He particularly loved Hayes's renditions of spirituals and black folk music. He would meet Hayes during his Boston years, when he introduced himself to the singer after a concert where Hayes performed with the Boston Symphony.Click on the video below to hear Hayes sing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
Beauford's Favorite Writers
According to the Beauford Delaney biography, Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, Beauford read avidly and wished he could be a writer. Here are images of some of his favorite writers.
Richard Wright
1939 Carl Van Vechten
Henry Miller
1940 Carl Van Vechten
Zora Neale Hurston
Source: Wikimedia Commons
André Gide
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Langston Hughes
1936 Carl Van Vechten
Marcel Proust
Source: Wikimedia Commons
James Baldwin
1955 Carl Van Vechten
Henry Miller's work was perhaps the most meaningful to Beauford because of the troubled relationship that Beauford had with his own sexuality. Biographer David A. Leeming states that Miller "opened up the possibility that sexuality could be liberating and 'good'..." He quotes a letter that Beauford sent to Miller regarding the effect that Miller's writing had on him:
Miller did much to support Beauford, personally and professionally, and the two men became friends for life.
, Beauford read avidly and wished he could be a writer. Here are images of some of his favorite writers.
1939 Carl Van Vechten
1940 Carl Van Vechten
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Source: Wikimedia Commons
1936 Carl Van Vechten
Source: Wikimedia Commons
1955 Carl Van Vechten
Henry Miller's work was perhaps the most meaningful to Beauford because of the troubled relationship that Beauford had with his own sexuality. Biographer David A. Leeming states that Miller "opened up the possibility that sexuality could be liberating and 'good'..." He quotes a letter that Beauford sent to Miller regarding the effect that Miller's writing had on him:
I am sure you understand me when I say that my way is clearer [now] - vision more serene.
Miller did much to support Beauford, personally and professionally, and the two men became friends for life.
Jazz Concert in the Old New York Synagogue
Beauford loved jazz! He considered it to be "warm, vibrant, and conducive to dreaming and romantic musing."*
During his "New York years" (1929-1953), he painted two works depicting jazz musicians performing in a synagogue.
Jazz Quartet
(1946) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Burt and Patricia Reinfrank
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Jazz concert in the old synagogue, Lower East Side, New York
(ca. 1946) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I was curious about the setting for these two paintings and decided to do a little research. I learned that there is a black Jewish population in New York City and that the first African-American synagogue in the city was founded in 1919. I also learned that jazz pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith was Jewish and worked as a Hebrew cantor for a black Jewish congregation in Harlem. However, I was unable to find information about the location of the synagogue in the paintings.
Jazz Quartet hung in the Artsmia exposition Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris, which originated at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (November 21, 2004 – February 20, 2005) and was subsequently presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art (April 8 – June 25, 2005), the Greenville County Museum of Art (August 3 – October 2, 2005), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (November 12, 2005 – January 28, 2006).
As a tribute to Beauford's love of jazz, the Philadelphia Museum of Art organized a special event starring Philadelphia jazz pianist Orrin Evans and including a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary film A Great Day in Harlem.
*Quote from Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
During his "New York years" (1929-1953), he painted two works depicting jazz musicians performing in a synagogue.
(1946) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Burt and Patricia Reinfrank
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(ca. 1946) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I was curious about the setting for these two paintings and decided to do a little research. I learned that there is a black Jewish population in New York City and that the first African-American synagogue in the city was founded in 1919. I also learned that jazz pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith was Jewish and worked as a Hebrew cantor for a black Jewish congregation in Harlem. However, I was unable to find information about the location of the synagogue in the paintings.
Jazz Quartet hung in the Artsmia exposition Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris, which originated at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (November 21, 2004 – February 20, 2005) and was subsequently presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art (April 8 – June 25, 2005), the Greenville County Museum of Art (August 3 – October 2, 2005), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (November 12, 2005 – January 28, 2006).
As a tribute to Beauford's love of jazz, the Philadelphia Museum of Art organized a special event starring Philadelphia jazz pianist Orrin Evans and including a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary film A Great Day in Harlem.
*Quote from Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
Beauford in Istanbul
Beauford visited James Baldwin in Istanbul in July-August 1966 and June 1969. He painted the work shown below in 1966
Untitled (Istanbul, Turkey)
(1966) Oil on thick, cream wove paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
and gave it to his friend, Mary Painter (her Paris address is inscribed on the back).
Beauford's biographer, David Leeming, describes this first visit to Istanbul in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney. He quotes from a letter that Beauford wrote to Henry Miller in July 1966:
Leeming served as Baldwin's secretary and lived with Beauford and Baldwin in Istanbul at that time. He writes that Beauford
Sedat Pakay, Turkish photographer and filmmaker, was one of those friends. Read about Pakay's memories of Beauford here:
Sedat Pakay's Tribute to Beauford
(1966) Oil on thick, cream wove paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
and gave it to his friend, Mary Painter (her Paris address is inscribed on the back).
Beauford's biographer, David Leeming, describes this first visit to Istanbul in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
. He quotes from a letter that Beauford wrote to Henry Miller in July 1966:Being in Turkey is more exciting to me than being in Venice . . . there are ancient essences . . . the weather and the light are beyond my power to resist.
Leeming served as Baldwin's secretary and lived with Beauford and Baldwin in Istanbul at that time. He writes that Beauford
painted portraits of us all, did watercolors of the hills of Asia across the straits, bestowed a much needed aura of peace on the usually tumultuous Baldwin scene, and became an object of veneration among our Turkish friends, who would come to him each afternoon as to a wise guru.
Sedat Pakay, Turkish photographer and filmmaker, was one of those friends. Read about Pakay's memories of Beauford here:
Sedat Pakay's Tribute to Beauford
Beauford on View at the Pompidou Center - Last Days
LES AMIS DE BEAUFORD DELANEY!
Just over a year ago, I reported that a magnificent Beauford Delaney abstract was placed on display as part of the Multiple Modernities 1905-1970 (also called Plural Modalities) exposition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The exhibit closes on January 26, so there are just a few more days to view it.
(1957) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Artist Bob Tomlinson viewed this work soon after the exposition opened and contributed a commentary on it to the Les Amis blog. Read it here:
Bob Tomlinson on Beauford's Painting at the Centre Pompidou
The abstract hangs in a short corridor (Traverse G) between Rooms 31 and 34 on the 5th floor of the museum. Because it is not displayed in a room, it can be difficult to find. But it is well worth a trip to the museum to see it. Don't delay - January will be over in the blink of an eye!
If you do visit the museum and see the painting, please share your thoughts about it by leaving a comment in the space below.
Centre Georges Pompidou
19 Rue Beaubourg
75004 Paris
Telephone: 01 44 78 12 33
Metro: Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville, and Châtelet
Open every day except Tuesdays and May 1.
Hours: 11am-10pm. No tickets sold after 8pm.
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!
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.
(1961) Watercolor on paper
© Christie's Images
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(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
(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
(1963) Gouache on wove 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
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!
(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!
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.
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.
© 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.
Here are images of a couple of the works that are displayed:
(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
(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.
Live from Paris! The Art and Life of Beauford Delaney
I recently had the great pleasure of being interviewed by my friend Tim Paulson, marketing master, art lover, and artist, about Beauford.
I introduced Tim to Beauford's art in 2010 and told him that one of Beauford's self-portraits hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago. When Tim visited the museum and saw the painting, he was so captivated that he took several detailed photos of it and shared them with me for the blog:
Beauford at the Art Institute of Chicago
Detail of Beauford's 1944 Self-portrait
Art Institute of Chicago - Gallery 262
Image courtesy of Tim Paulson
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Tim is a brilliantly inspired artist in his own right and he has begun to explore his love of art in a new way by creating the Art Lovers Podcast. Soon after launching the podcast, he contacted me to ask if I'd be willing to record a segment about Beauford. Of course I couldn't refuse!
Listen to our interview entitled "Live from Paris! The Art and Life of Beauford Delaney" (dated November 3, 2014) on ITunes at the following link (there's no charge):
The Art Lovers Podcast
I introduced Tim to Beauford's art in 2010 and told him that one of Beauford's self-portraits hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago. When Tim visited the museum and saw the painting, he was so captivated that he took several detailed photos of it and shared them with me for the blog:
Beauford at the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago - Gallery 262
Image courtesy of Tim Paulson
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Tim is a brilliantly inspired artist in his own right and he has begun to explore his love of art in a new way by creating the Art Lovers Podcast. Soon after launching the podcast, he contacted me to ask if I'd be willing to record a segment about Beauford. Of course I couldn't refuse!
Listen to our interview entitled "Live from Paris! The Art and Life of Beauford Delaney" (dated November 3, 2014) on ITunes at the following link (there's no charge):
Another Delaney Abstract Sells at Auction
Heritage Auctions placed an extraordinary Beauford Delaney abstract painting up for sale during its American Art Signature Auction (New York #5198) on November 17th:
Untitled, circa 1960
Oil on paper mounted on canvas
20-1/2 x 17 inches (52.1 x 43.2 cm)
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It once belonged to Dr. Ferdière, who was Beauford's physician and friend. Ferdière worked at the clinic in Nogent where Beauford underwent treatment for acute paranoia after his breakdown in 1961.
Beauford signed this creation at the lower center.
Untitled, circa 1960 - Beauford's signature
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The auction also featured works by Georgia O'Keeffe and Man Ray, both of whom Beauford knew.
Beauford's untitled abstract sold for $7500, 25% buyer's premium included.
Oil on paper mounted on canvas
20-1/2 x 17 inches (52.1 x 43.2 cm)
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It once belonged to Dr. Ferdière, who was Beauford's physician and friend. Ferdière worked at the clinic in Nogent where Beauford underwent treatment for acute paranoia after his breakdown in 1961.
Beauford signed this creation at the lower center.
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The auction also featured works by Georgia O'Keeffe and Man Ray, both of whom Beauford knew.
Beauford's untitled abstract sold for $7500, 25% buyer's premium included.
De Hirsh Margules' Portrait of Beauford
De Hirsh Margules
(ca. early 1950s) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Adrian Lesher
Reprinted with the permission of Adam Tansky
De Hirsh Margules (1899–1965) was a Romanian-born American "abstract realist" painter who crossed paths with many major American artistic and intellectual figures of the first half of the 20th century. Elaine de Kooning said that he was "[w]idely recognized as one of the most gifted and erudite watercolorists in the country"... He was also a well-known participant in the bohemian culture of New York City's Greenwich Village, where he was widely known as the "Baron" of Greenwich Village. --Wikipedia
Adrian Lesher is the owner of the painting depicted above. He has done a good bit of research on Margules and is the primary contributor to the Wikipedia page on Margules. He contacted me to ask whether I could verify that Beauford was the man in the portrait and provide him with information about any contact that Margules may have had with him. I was quickly able to confirm that the portrait is of Beauford.
I was not able to find any direct evidence of a relationship between Margules and Beauford, but I have subsequently learned that they traveled in the same circles in New York and had many friends in common. Willem de Kooning, Elaine de Kooning, John Marin, Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Henry Miller were among them.
Margules left New York in 1927 to spend two years in Paris. He returned in 1929, the same year that Beauford arrived.
Nell Painter on Beauford
Nell Painter (the artist formerly known as the historian Nell Irvin Painter) lives and works in Newark, New Jersey. She uses found images and digital manipulation to reconfigure the past and to revision herself through self-portraits. She first focused on Beauford’s work when she was writing her book entitled Creating Black Americans: African American History and Its Meanings, 1619 to the Present (Oxford University Press, 2006). All of the images in this book are of black fine art, and she comments on Beauford’s Can Fire in the Park (1946) and his portrait of Marian Anderson in it.
Nell is particularly enamored of the self-portrait that Beauford created when he was at Yaddo in 1950.
Self-portrait, Yaddo
(1950) Pastel, watercolor, and charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
She discovered this self-portrait a few years before she became an artist in residence at Yaddo (October 2012). While there, she corrected an oversight that left Beauford off the list of visual artist "guests" kept by the program. She said that Yaddo was proud of Delaney and that they mounted a show of his work. But he still had been left off the list of guests.
She has created numerous collages based on this work, several of which she has allowed me to reproduce here.
Yaddo Diptych, Framed
Nell Painter
(2014) Digital collage on paper
Yaddo L Lines
Nell Painter
(2014) Digital collage on paper
Right now, her favorite is Beauford Delaney at Yaddo on Pink, 2014. It is the last of the series based on the Yaddo self-portrait.
Beauford Delaney at Yaddo Pink 2014
Nell Painter
(2014) Digital and manual collage on paper
I asked Nell how the greater body of Beauford's work has influenced her art. She replied:
She also shared the following reflection on Beauford's life and work:
Nell is particularly enamored of the self-portrait that Beauford created when he was at Yaddo in 1950.
(1950) Pastel, watercolor, and charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
She discovered this self-portrait a few years before she became an artist in residence at Yaddo (October 2012). While there, she corrected an oversight that left Beauford off the list of visual artist "guests" kept by the program. She said that Yaddo was proud of Delaney and that they mounted a show of his work. But he still had been left off the list of guests.
She has created numerous collages based on this work, several of which she has allowed me to reproduce here.
Nell Painter
(2014) Digital collage on paper
Nell Painter
(2014) Digital collage on paper
Right now, her favorite is Beauford Delaney at Yaddo on Pink, 2014. It is the last of the series based on the Yaddo self-portrait.
Nell Painter
(2014) Digital and manual collage on paper
I asked Nell how the greater body of Beauford's work has influenced her art. She replied:
One clear influence is my use of cadmium yellow as a base coat for paintings of people to give the painting overall warmth, a kind of humanity. His portraits of James Baldwin taught me that a portrait needn't try to mimic the look of the sitter in order to convey power and affection. The yellow helps with this.
She also shared the following reflection on Beauford's life and work:
I have a long involvement with France, starting with junior year abroad in 1962-63 in Bordeaux and 1996-1997 in Paris. My husband and I are both fluent in French, so I couldn't ignore the strong French thread running through the lives, experiences, and work of many of the twentieth-century black painters whose work I liked, e.g., Palmer Hayden, Hale Woodruff, Romare Bearden, Robert Colescott... I think my painters could not have painted without their French dimension encouraging them to be themselves in their work. Beauford Delaney stands out among them with his need for freedom and support. I doubt he could have made his magnificent oeuvre had he remained in the U. S.
"Some Negro Artists" - A 1964 Group Exhibition
Fifty years ago, Fairleigh Dickenson University mounted a group exhibition called Some Negro Artists at the Florham-Madison campus in Madison, NJ. It consisted of 37 works by 17 artists, including Beauford, Romare Bearden, Lorenzo Gilcrist, Norman Lewis, and Beauford's close friend, Ellis Wilson.
The catalog, which contains only three images (none of which are of Beauford's work), can be viewed HERE.
Three brief paragraphs in the catalog introduce Beauford to the reader. The first paragraph erroneously lists the year of his birth as 1910 - possibly due to the transposition of the last two digits of his true birth year, 1901. The write-up indicates that Beauford was the recipient of a Farfield [sic] Foundation Grant in 1964 (Beauford gifted part of this grant to Ellis Wilson) and that during the 50s and 60s, he exhibited his work in galleries in "Paris, Madrid, Iserlohn[sic], Germany, and Borderghira [sic], Italy."
Two of Beauford's paintings hung in this show: an oil called Yaddo and a pastel called Head of a Poet. The catalog indicates no date for either work.
The exhibition, which was sponsored by the Subcommittee for Negro Affairs of the Morris County Tercentenary Committee, ran from October 20 to November 20, 1964. The public could view the show from 12 PM to 4 PM daily. Beauford did not attend.
A Second Plaque for Beauford
In April 2014, I posted that the City of Paris approved the mounting of a plaque honoring Beauford in the 14th arrondissement.
Today I bring news of the possibility of a second plaque in the same neighborhood.
If approved, this one would be placed at 20 bis, rue de la Gaîte.
In an interview that I conducted with Beauford's friend Colin Gravois in 2010, Colin talked about a restaurant that was once located at this address. It was called Les Mille Colonnes and Beauford liked to eat there.
Les Mille Colonnes was a renowned dance hall during the 19th century. Documentation of the history of the associated restaurant is sketchy, partly because other sites in Paris operated under the same name.
Postcard - Les Mille Colonnes restaurant
Rue de la Gaîté à Paris, circa 1900
The site is currently occupied by the Hotel Le M. The owner granted permission for the placement of the plaque earlier this year and Les Amis de Beauford Delaney submitted a request to the Préfet de Paris for official approval shortly thereafter. We recently discovered that the dossier was never received by the appropriate office and have relaunched the request. With luck, we'll receive notification of approval in early 2015 and can begin planning for the installation of both plaques.
Today I bring news of the possibility of a second plaque in the same neighborhood.
If approved, this one would be placed at 20 bis, rue de la Gaîte.
In an interview that I conducted with Beauford's friend Colin Gravois in 2010, Colin talked about a restaurant that was once located at this address. It was called Les Mille Colonnes and Beauford liked to eat there.
Les Mille Colonnes was a renowned dance hall during the 19th century. Documentation of the history of the associated restaurant is sketchy, partly because other sites in Paris operated under the same name.
Rue de la Gaîté à Paris, circa 1900
The site is currently occupied by the Hotel Le M. The owner granted permission for the placement of the plaque earlier this year and Les Amis de Beauford Delaney submitted a request to the Préfet de Paris for official approval shortly thereafter. We recently discovered that the dossier was never received by the appropriate office and have relaunched the request. With luck, we'll receive notification of approval in early 2015 and can begin planning for the installation of both plaques.
Beauford's "Citation in Context"
Installation artist Aprille Best Glover sent me an e-mail a few days ago. I quote from her message below:
Aprille calls her project "108 Quotes 108 Days 108 Citation 108 Joys." She shared the URL for the Web site in her message: Le Grand Livre de Paris.
I happily prepared a response containing a quote from Beauford, the most important of the addresses where he lived in Paris, and the URL for the Les Amis blog. Before sending it, I visited her Web site and saw that the first person quoted on the site is James Baldwin.
When I sent my reply, I asked Aprille whether she was aware of the deep connection between Baldwin and Beauford. She was not. She sent a return message asking me whether I had written anything about Beauford and volunteered to place a link to an article that speaks of the connection between him and Beauford. She has done just that. At the end of the English text about Baldwin (there is a French translation of it on the page as well), she emphasizes that articles that treat the subject of Baldwin's and Beauford's relationship highlights how personal connection matters.
Aprille's project is not yet finished and the section of the map that contains Beauford's quote is not yet on line. She has graciously allowed me to publish it here (click on the image to enlarge it):
Citations in Context (detail)
© Aprille Best Glover
The quotation that I supplied (from Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney) is as follows:
Aprille has placed it in the section of the map where Saint Anne's Hospital is located in the 14th arrondissement.
First thank you for all your content. I have been doing huge amount of research about Paris and I keep bumping into your site (Entrée to Black Paris). If it wouldn’t be too inconvenient, could I ask you for some assistance concerning Beauford Delaney?
What I am working on now is a very large map of Paris (3 meters by 2 meters) built of quotes in the shape of city blocks. The particularity of this map is that each quote is placed over a location that I can trace directly to the person quoted (their home, historical happening, workplace or atelier, for example). I have located what I think are most of the obvious African-Americans in Paris (James Baldwin, Josephine Baker, Miles Davis, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Nina Simone, Richard Wright, Angela Davis, Victor Séjour, etc.), hence my stumbling over your site multiple times.
I was wondering if you might be able to give me a direct quote of Beauford Delaney and any addresses inside Paris that are directly connected with his life...
Aprille calls her project "108 Quotes 108 Days 108 Citation 108 Joys." She shared the URL for the Web site in her message: Le Grand Livre de Paris.
I happily prepared a response containing a quote from Beauford, the most important of the addresses where he lived in Paris, and the URL for the Les Amis blog. Before sending it, I visited her Web site and saw that the first person quoted on the site is James Baldwin.
When I sent my reply, I asked Aprille whether she was aware of the deep connection between Baldwin and Beauford. She was not. She sent a return message asking me whether I had written anything about Beauford and volunteered to place a link to an article that speaks of the connection between him and Beauford. She has done just that. At the end of the English text about Baldwin (there is a French translation of it on the page as well), she emphasizes that articles that treat the subject of Baldwin's and Beauford's relationship highlights how personal connection matters.
Aprille's project is not yet finished and the section of the map that contains Beauford's quote is not yet on line. She has graciously allowed me to publish it here (click on the image to enlarge it):
© Aprille Best Glover
The quotation that I supplied (from Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
) is as follows:Time became different--not just an hour by the clock but a mysterious aliveness from the tips of your toes to the top of your head, touching everything and everyone. This began to be Paris for me...
Aprille has placed it in the section of the map where Saint Anne's Hospital is located in the 14th arrondissement.
Swann Auction Galleries October 9 African American Fine Art Auction - Results for Beauford's Works
On October 9th at 2:30 PM, Swann Auction Galleries held an African American Fine Art that featured works from the collection of Richard A. Long (1927-2013). Richard was Atticus Haygood Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Emeritus, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for many years. He was a dear friend of Beauford.
Of the seven Beauford Delaney paintings that were put up for sale at the event, four were purchased.
The yellow, untitled abstract (Lot 13) fetched the most handsome price - $75,000, including buyer's premium*. Beauford painted this in 1964, which was an exceptionally productive year that culminated in his one-man show at the Galerie Lambert in Paris.
Untitled (Abstraction)
(1964) Oil on linen canvas
406x336 mm; 16x13 1/4 inches
Signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in oil, verso
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford's portrait of Richard (Lot 14) sold for $10,000, including buyer's premium. It was exhibited at the Beauford Delaney retrospective that Richard organized at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978.
Portrait of Richard A. Long
(1965) Color pastels on cream wove paper
660x508 mm; 26x20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(Beauford also painted an oil portrait of Richard that is currently on display at the High Museum in Atlanta.)
Kitchen (Lot 17) sold for $5,500, including buyer's premium.
Kitchen
(1970) Watercolor and pencil on cream wove paper
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 16, an untitled landscape, sold for $5,250, including buyer's premium. Richard acquired this painting directly from Beauford, who may have painted it during a prolonged trip to the south of France with Bernard Hassell.
Untitled (Landscape)
(1968) Oil monotype on cream wove paper,
laid down to illustration board
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Signed and dated in ball point pen and blue ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
To see the results for all seven paintings, click here.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
*At auction, there are two prices--the hammer price, or the price at which the item sells during the auction, and the price with the buyer's premium. All auction houses have a buyer's premium that the buyer pays to the auction house on top of the hammer price. Swann's premium is 25% up to and including $100,000. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Of the seven Beauford Delaney paintings that were put up for sale at the event, four were purchased.
The yellow, untitled abstract (Lot 13) fetched the most handsome price - $75,000, including buyer's premium*. Beauford painted this in 1964, which was an exceptionally productive year that culminated in his one-man show at the Galerie Lambert in Paris.
(1964) Oil on linen canvas
406x336 mm; 16x13 1/4 inches
Signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in oil, verso
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford's portrait of Richard (Lot 14) sold for $10,000, including buyer's premium. It was exhibited at the Beauford Delaney retrospective that Richard organized at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978.
(1965) Color pastels on cream wove paper
660x508 mm; 26x20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(Beauford also painted an oil portrait of Richard that is currently on display at the High Museum in Atlanta.)
Kitchen (Lot 17) sold for $5,500, including buyer's premium.
(1970) Watercolor and pencil on cream wove paper
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 16, an untitled landscape, sold for $5,250, including buyer's premium. Richard acquired this painting directly from Beauford, who may have painted it during a prolonged trip to the south of France with Bernard Hassell.
(1968) Oil monotype on cream wove paper,
laid down to illustration board
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Signed and dated in ball point pen and blue ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
To see the results for all seven paintings, click here.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
*At auction, there are two prices--the hammer price, or the price at which the item sells during the auction, and the price with the buyer's premium. All auction houses have a buyer's premium that the buyer pays to the auction house on top of the hammer price. Swann's premium is 25% up to and including $100,000. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Clarke Auction Gallery - Past Sales of Beauford's Art
Clarke Auction Gallery sold two Beauford Delaney works in 2007 and 2008, as illustrated below.
(1950) Oil on canvas
© 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
Ronan (Ron) Clarke, owner of the gallery, immigrated to the United States from Ireland twenty-six years ago. He settled in Harlem and married an African-American woman. He was introduced to African-American art at that time and has amassed a considerable collection of these works. He sells a lot of African-American art at his gallery.
Clarke operated a flea market in Manhattan "twenty some odd years" ago and developed a strong network of contacts that continues to bring him interesting pieces, but he has not had the good fortune to come across much of Beauford's work. He told me that he felt fortunate to have found both paintings and said that they were "estate fresh":
Street Scene was found on the Grand Concourse. Where it originated, no one knows.
Charcoal of a Black Woman (Flapper girl) came from an African-American woman in the Bronx as well.
Information about the sales can be found on the ClarkeNY.com Web site:
Street Scene
Charcoal of a Black Woman
Street Scene, an oil painting measuring 47" x 36", fetched the highest price of which I am aware for Beauford's work: $176,250.00.
Beauford the Mentor
I'm happy to welcome E. L. Kornegay, Jr., Ph.D., M.Div. and founder of the Baldwin~Delaney Institute for Academic Enrichment and Faith Flourishing back to the pages of the Les Amis blog! Today, E. L. shares his thoughts about Beauford as mentor.
As violence becomes more of what connects us one to another across the world, what about Beauford might help us to quell the rage fueling the aggression and brutality? Everyday acts, stories, and sounds paint graphic pictures of violence that are completely antithetical to Beauford’s artistic eye.
Happily, this artistic eye – the cultivation and articulation captured in Beauford’s style – is something transferable. Through it, Beauford is able to mentor us to find a way to channel the rage that produces the violence.
Detail of Self-Portrait
(1944) Oil on canvas
Art Institute of Chicago
Photo courtesy of Tim Paulson
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
As mentor, Beauford showed a young James Baldwin how to create literary art out of his rage. Yes, Baldwin expressed anger through his writing. However, his vivid style and his message always lent themselves to creating a new world: a world in which love would reign supreme. Beauford gave Baldwin a way not to succumb to the fear of a world that wanted him dead or to drive him to insanity, a way to find instead a more peaceable and transformative path.
Photo portraits of James Baldwin (1955) and Beauford (1953)
Carl Van Vechten
Collage by Discover Paris!
The serenity in Beauford’s paintings has the capacity to mentor us into a peaceable existence. Just look at his work and see where it takes you. The peaceable feeling derived from the colors and figures mentor us into a new way of thinking about ourselves and the world around us.
Still Life with Pears
(1946) Oil on canvas
© 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
Untitled
(1961) Watercolor on paper
© Christie's Images
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
We need to lift up those who are the real mentors: the ones who are able to look into the darkness and see the light. Let us not merely admire the art or ponder over the man, but embrace the meaning of how the two come together to mentor us.
As violence becomes more of what connects us one to another across the world, what about Beauford might help us to quell the rage fueling the aggression and brutality? Everyday acts, stories, and sounds paint graphic pictures of violence that are completely antithetical to Beauford’s artistic eye.
Happily, this artistic eye – the cultivation and articulation captured in Beauford’s style – is something transferable. Through it, Beauford is able to mentor us to find a way to channel the rage that produces the violence.
(1944) Oil on canvas
Art Institute of Chicago
Photo courtesy of Tim Paulson
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
As mentor, Beauford showed a young James Baldwin how to create literary art out of his rage. Yes, Baldwin expressed anger through his writing. However, his vivid style and his message always lent themselves to creating a new world: a world in which love would reign supreme. Beauford gave Baldwin a way not to succumb to the fear of a world that wanted him dead or to drive him to insanity, a way to find instead a more peaceable and transformative path.
Carl Van Vechten
Collage by Discover Paris!
The serenity in Beauford’s paintings has the capacity to mentor us into a peaceable existence. Just look at his work and see where it takes you. The peaceable feeling derived from the colors and figures mentor us into a new way of thinking about ourselves and the world around us.
(1946) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1963) Gouache on wove paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1961) Watercolor on paper
© Christie's Images
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
We need to lift up those who are the real mentors: the ones who are able to look into the darkness and see the light. Let us not merely admire the art or ponder over the man, but embrace the meaning of how the two come together to mentor us.