Beauford's Yellow Abstracts are HOT
Yet another yellow Beauford Delaney abstract has sold at a price that far surpassed the estimated sales price.
On November 19, Millon held its "Post War & Art Contemporain" sale at Drouot in Paris. A single Beauford Delaney painting was included in the offerings - a magnificent work that the owner obtained from the Paul Facchetti gallery. It was shown at Beauford's monographic exhibition at the gallery in June-July 1960.
Untitled
(circa 1960) Oil on canvas
Signed at lower right and on back of canvas
84 x 75 cm
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I visited the Drouot showroom about a month before the sale to see the painting "up close and personal."
Beauford's Untitled at the Drouot showroom
© Discover Paris!
Based on this viewing, I contributed the following text to Millon's catalog for the sale:
Cette oeuvre représente l’éclat pur de l’esprit de Beauford Delaney. Créée pendant ses années à Clamart (1956-1961), elle capte “la lumière interne” que l’artiste cherchait toujours. Pour Delaney, la lumière “détenait le pouvoir d’illuminer, même de sauver, de réconcilier et de guérir.” Il l’utilisait en tant qu’outil afin de repousser les voix intérieures qui le tourmentaient.
Delaney appelait son studio à Clamart «sa place à la campagne». La lumière qu’il aimait et dont il avait besoin pour travailler venait d’une fenêtre donnant sur un jardin à l’arrière de la maison. Comme dans tous ses ateliers, il a recouvert les murs de draps blancs afin d’accentuer la lumière. Le nombre d’oeuvres qu’il a créé dans cet environnement paisible est actuellement inconnu.
La jaune de ce tableau est lumineuse et l’empâtement qui est caractéristique de Delaney est un témoin de l’engagement de l’artiste de “rappeler la sculpture et la structure de couleur.” En regardant cette oeuvre, on peut bien imaginer qu’elle est la lumière.
The English translation of the text is as follows:
This work represents the pure brilliance of Beauford Delaney's spirit. Created during his years at Clamart (1956-1961), it captures "the internal light" for which the artist was always searching. For Delaney, the light "held the power to illuminate, even to save, reconcile and heal." He used it as a tool to repel the inner voices that tormented him.
Delaney called his studio at Clamart "his place in the country." The light he loved and needed for work came from a window overlooking a garden at the back of the house. As in all his studios, he covered the walls with white sheets to accentuate the light. The number of works that he created in this peaceful environment is currently unknown.
The yellow of this painting is luminous and the impasto which is characteristic of Delaney is a witness of the artist's commitment to "remember the sculpture and structure in color." Looking at this work, one can well imagine that it IS light.
Millon estimated the sale price to be between 10,000€ and 15,000€. After a bidding war among ten potential buyers, Untitled sold for 130,000€, including charges (30% buyer's premium and 20% value added tax).
On November 19, Millon held its "Post War & Art Contemporain" sale at Drouot in Paris. A single Beauford Delaney painting was included in the offerings - a magnificent work that the owner obtained from the Paul Facchetti gallery. It was shown at Beauford's monographic exhibition at the gallery in June-July 1960.
(circa 1960) Oil on canvas
Signed at lower right and on back of canvas
84 x 75 cm
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I visited the Drouot showroom about a month before the sale to see the painting "up close and personal."
© Discover Paris!
Based on this viewing, I contributed the following text to Millon's catalog for the sale:
Cette oeuvre représente l’éclat pur de l’esprit de Beauford Delaney. Créée pendant ses années à Clamart (1956-1961), elle capte “la lumière interne” que l’artiste cherchait toujours. Pour Delaney, la lumière “détenait le pouvoir d’illuminer, même de sauver, de réconcilier et de guérir.” Il l’utilisait en tant qu’outil afin de repousser les voix intérieures qui le tourmentaient.
Delaney appelait son studio à Clamart «sa place à la campagne». La lumière qu’il aimait et dont il avait besoin pour travailler venait d’une fenêtre donnant sur un jardin à l’arrière de la maison. Comme dans tous ses ateliers, il a recouvert les murs de draps blancs afin d’accentuer la lumière. Le nombre d’oeuvres qu’il a créé dans cet environnement paisible est actuellement inconnu.
La jaune de ce tableau est lumineuse et l’empâtement qui est caractéristique de Delaney est un témoin de l’engagement de l’artiste de “rappeler la sculpture et la structure de couleur.” En regardant cette oeuvre, on peut bien imaginer qu’elle est la lumière.
The English translation of the text is as follows:
This work represents the pure brilliance of Beauford Delaney's spirit. Created during his years at Clamart (1956-1961), it captures "the internal light" for which the artist was always searching. For Delaney, the light "held the power to illuminate, even to save, reconcile and heal." He used it as a tool to repel the inner voices that tormented him.
Delaney called his studio at Clamart "his place in the country." The light he loved and needed for work came from a window overlooking a garden at the back of the house. As in all his studios, he covered the walls with white sheets to accentuate the light. The number of works that he created in this peaceful environment is currently unknown.
The yellow of this painting is luminous and the impasto which is characteristic of Delaney is a witness of the artist's commitment to "remember the sculpture and structure in color." Looking at this work, one can well imagine that it IS light.
Millon estimated the sale price to be between 10,000€ and 15,000€. After a bidding war among ten potential buyers, Untitled sold for 130,000€, including charges (30% buyer's premium and 20% value added tax).
Happy Thanksgiving from Les Amis!
Les Amis is on holiday this weekend and we hope you are as well.
Look for us next week when we'll have news of yet another sale of Beauford's work.
In the meantime, enjoy this abstract that is bursting with autumn colors!
Untitled (Yellow Abstraction)
(c. 1958-1959) Oil on paper, laid down on canvas
Image courtesy of Aaron Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Look for us next week when we'll have news of yet another sale of Beauford's work.
In the meantime, enjoy this abstract that is bursting with autumn colors!
(c. 1958-1959) Oil on paper, laid down on canvas
Image courtesy of Aaron Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Phillips Sells Second Delaney Abstract
Phillips sold a Beauford Delaney abstract for $150,000 during its "New Now" sale on September 26, 2018.
Untitled
Signed, inscribed and dated "Beauford Delaney Paris 1965 midday" on the reverse
(1965) Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 21 in. (64.8 x 53.3 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
On November 14, 2018, it sold a second abstract for $118,750.
Untitled
(1967) Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 in. (55.2 x 45.7 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price for both works was $20,000 to $30,000.
Results from several additional sales show that buyers consider Beauford's work to be worth far more than the prices listed by the auction houses:
Clarke Auctioneers set a record for the sale of Beauford's work when it sold Street Scene for $176,250 at its 5th Annual Fine Art Sale on October 27, 2008. Clarke estimated that the painting would sell for $30,000 to $50,000.
For its Regard sur le XXe siècle #5 Art contemporain & Design sale on April 5, 2014, De Baecque estimated that an untitled oil signed and dedicated "Bon Nassainie Hovard" on the back of the canvas would sell for 600€ to 800€. It sold for 17,000€.
On June 21, 2018, Paysage, 1951 (oilstick on paper) sold for 64,500€ during Cornette de Saint Cyr's Art Contemporain - Art Africain Contemporain sale. Its estimated sale price was 3,000€ to 5,000€.
Two recent sales at Swann Auction Galleries are other examples. Untitled (African Figure) sold for $173,000 at the October 2018 African American Fine Art auction when its estimated sale price was $40,000 to $60,000.
And Untitled (Village Street Scene) sold for $557,000 at Swann's April 2018 African American Fine Art auction when its estimated sale price was $150,000 - $250,000. This sale broke the record set by Clarke in 2008.
Signed, inscribed and dated "Beauford Delaney Paris 1965 midday" on the reverse
(1965) Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 21 in. (64.8 x 53.3 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
On November 14, 2018, it sold a second abstract for $118,750.
(1967) Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 in. (55.2 x 45.7 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price for both works was $20,000 to $30,000.
Results from several additional sales show that buyers consider Beauford's work to be worth far more than the prices listed by the auction houses:
Clarke Auctioneers set a record for the sale of Beauford's work when it sold Street Scene for $176,250 at its 5th Annual Fine Art Sale on October 27, 2008. Clarke estimated that the painting would sell for $30,000 to $50,000.
For its Regard sur le XXe siècle #5 Art contemporain & Design sale on April 5, 2014, De Baecque estimated that an untitled oil signed and dedicated "Bon Nassainie Hovard" on the back of the canvas would sell for 600€ to 800€. It sold for 17,000€.
On June 21, 2018, Paysage, 1951 (oilstick on paper) sold for 64,500€ during Cornette de Saint Cyr's Art Contemporain - Art Africain Contemporain sale. Its estimated sale price was 3,000€ to 5,000€.
Two recent sales at Swann Auction Galleries are other examples. Untitled (African Figure) sold for $173,000 at the October 2018 African American Fine Art auction when its estimated sale price was $40,000 to $60,000.
And Untitled (Village Street Scene) sold for $557,000 at Swann's April 2018 African American Fine Art auction when its estimated sale price was $150,000 - $250,000. This sale broke the record set by Clarke in 2008.
Beauford Moves to New York City
Beauford moved from Boston to New York City in early November 1929. His first stop was Harlem.
Because of a scandalous incident at a rooming house, he lost his belongings - including his portfolio of paintings - within a matter of hours.
Next, he went to Union Square.
"Manhattan: Union Square (East) - 17th Street (East)." 1929.
Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History,
Local History and Genealogy,
The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library Digital Collections
(Free use)
The stock market had crashed only days earlier and Beauford witnessed the effect of the crash in the faces and movements of the people milling about the square. He spent his first night on a park bench there and his shoes were stolen while he slept. This was the inauspicious beginning to his twenty-three years in the city.
The next day, Beauford's fortunes reversed considerably. He visited a painter to whom he had been referred by a friend in Boston. This man organized a job interview for Beauford and referred him to someone who could help him find lodging. This resulted in a bellhop position at the Grand Hotel and a room at 241 W 111th Street, just north of Central Park.
"Grand Hotel, (Broadway and 31st Street)."
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs:
Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.
The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
(Free use)
He soon found additional work at Billy Pierce's Dancing School at 225 W 46th Street, near Radio City Music Hall, where he created pastel and charcoal portraits of the school's clients. The Baltimore Afro-American called Pierce's school "the largest studio for stage dancing in the world."
Ad for Billy Pierce's Dancing School
The same painter who helped Beauford find the bellhop position at the Grand Hotel suggested that he pay a visit to the Whitney Studio Galleries and meet Miss Mungo Park. This led to the offer of a slot in a four person show of "Sunday painters" at the galleries, which in turn led to a new job and a studio and living quarters on the premises.
The Whitney show was Beauford's first "big break" in New York with regard to exhibiting his work publicly.
*****
News flash: A Georgia O'Keeffe portrait of Beauford is going to be auctioned by Christie's on November 13. Beauford met O'Keeffe during his New York years. Read the article about the Christie's sale here:
https://www.culturetype.com/2018/11/09/georgia-okeeffe-made-5-portraits-of-beauford-delaney-1-is-for-sale-at-christies/
Read about O'Keeffe's portraits of Beauford here:
https://lesamisdebeauforddelaney.blogspot.com/2010/08/beauford-georgia-okeeffe-portraits.html
Because of a scandalous incident at a rooming house, he lost his belongings - including his portfolio of paintings - within a matter of hours.
Next, he went to Union Square.
Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History,
Local History and Genealogy,
The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library Digital Collections
(Free use)
The stock market had crashed only days earlier and Beauford witnessed the effect of the crash in the faces and movements of the people milling about the square. He spent his first night on a park bench there and his shoes were stolen while he slept. This was the inauspicious beginning to his twenty-three years in the city.
The next day, Beauford's fortunes reversed considerably. He visited a painter to whom he had been referred by a friend in Boston. This man organized a job interview for Beauford and referred him to someone who could help him find lodging. This resulted in a bellhop position at the Grand Hotel and a room at 241 W 111th Street, just north of Central Park.
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs:
Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.
The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
(Free use)
He soon found additional work at Billy Pierce's Dancing School at 225 W 46th Street, near Radio City Music Hall, where he created pastel and charcoal portraits of the school's clients. The Baltimore Afro-American called Pierce's school "the largest studio for stage dancing in the world."
The same painter who helped Beauford find the bellhop position at the Grand Hotel suggested that he pay a visit to the Whitney Studio Galleries and meet Miss Mungo Park. This led to the offer of a slot in a four person show of "Sunday painters" at the galleries, which in turn led to a new job and a studio and living quarters on the premises.
The Whitney show was Beauford's first "big break" in New York with regard to exhibiting his work publicly.
*****
News flash: A Georgia O'Keeffe portrait of Beauford is going to be auctioned by Christie's on November 13. Beauford met O'Keeffe during his New York years. Read the article about the Christie's sale here:
https://www.culturetype.com/2018/11/09/georgia-okeeffe-made-5-portraits-of-beauford-delaney-1-is-for-sale-at-christies/
Read about O'Keeffe's portraits of Beauford here:
https://lesamisdebeauforddelaney.blogspot.com/2010/08/beauford-georgia-okeeffe-portraits.html
Untitled Yellow Abstract for Auction at Phillips
Phillips (London and New York) is holding a 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale in New York City on November 14, 2018. During the morning session, the Beauford Delaney abstract shown below will be up for auction.
Untitled
(1967) Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 in. (55.2 x 45.7 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The notes on the sales page indicate that Beauford created this work in 1967 and that the current owner received the painting from Larry Calcagno.
In a letter that Beauford wrote to Calcagno in August of that year, he talks of the "amazingly beautiful" light that he experienced during a recent visit to Carcassonne and Narbonne with a friend. He shares that though returning to Paris was difficult, some of the sun and light that he saw during the trip appeared in his canvases. He also says:
While there is no indication as to when during the year Beauford painted Untitled, one can well imagine that he created this work in the aftermath of the trip he described. Small splotches of blue and gray and green seem to peek out through shining white overlaid by a juxtaposition of bold and soft yellows highlighted with rose or peach. The cooler pigments are no match for the power and radiance of the light that he represents with yellow and white.
The estimated sale price for Untitled is $20,000 to $30,000. But collectors who looking to acquire Beauford's work need to be prepared to spend considerably more for this painting.
For its "New Now" sale on September 26, 2018, Phillips estimated that another of Beauford's yellow abstracts, painted in 1965, would sell in the same price range.
Untitled
Signed, inscribed and dated "Beauford Delaney Paris 1965 midday" on the reverse
(1965) Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 21 in. (64.8 x 53.3 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It fetched a handsome $150,000 (including a 25% buyer's premium*).
To request additional information about the 1967 painting or to register to bid during the November 14 auction, click on the following link: Lot 208: BEAUFORD DELANEY - Untitled
*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 in addition to the hammer price.
(1967) Oil on canvas
21 3/4 x 18 in. (55.2 x 45.7 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The notes on the sales page indicate that Beauford created this work in 1967 and that the current owner received the painting from Larry Calcagno.
In a letter that Beauford wrote to Calcagno in August of that year, he talks of the "amazingly beautiful" light that he experienced during a recent visit to Carcassonne and Narbonne with a friend. He shares that though returning to Paris was difficult, some of the sun and light that he saw during the trip appeared in his canvases. He also says:
... there has been a flow and release in me which has entered my work. I feel happy to announce this to you ... While the number of canvases are modest in number [sic] they have come from the source.
While there is no indication as to when during the year Beauford painted Untitled, one can well imagine that he created this work in the aftermath of the trip he described. Small splotches of blue and gray and green seem to peek out through shining white overlaid by a juxtaposition of bold and soft yellows highlighted with rose or peach. The cooler pigments are no match for the power and radiance of the light that he represents with yellow and white.
The estimated sale price for Untitled is $20,000 to $30,000. But collectors who looking to acquire Beauford's work need to be prepared to spend considerably more for this painting.
For its "New Now" sale on September 26, 2018, Phillips estimated that another of Beauford's yellow abstracts, painted in 1965, would sell in the same price range.
Signed, inscribed and dated "Beauford Delaney Paris 1965 midday" on the reverse
(1965) Oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 21 in. (64.8 x 53.3 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It fetched a handsome $150,000 (including a 25% buyer's premium*).
To request additional information about the 1967 painting or to register to bid during the November 14 auction, click on the following link: Lot 208: BEAUFORD DELANEY - Untitled
*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 in addition to the hammer price.
Beauford at the 2018 Carnegie International
Beauford's Portrait of Tillie S. Speyer is currently on display at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Portrait of Tillie S. Speyer
(1968) Oil on canvas
Carnegie Museum of Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It was selected by Cameroon-born, Senegal-based independent exhibition-maker Koyo Kouoh to be a part of "Dig Where You Stand," a show-within-a-show organized for the 2018 Carnegie International exhibition. Kouoh perused the collections of the Carnegie Museum and the neighboring Natural History Museum for her exhibition, which journalist Andrew Russeth calls "a Wunderkammer of art and artifacts focused on labor, colonialism, and depictions of power." She has placed Beauford's portrait of Speyer between a photograph of a young Queen Elizabeth II and one of Puerto Rican lacemakers.
Pittsburgh native Tillie Speyer was a painter and a sculptor. She was the mother of Darthea Speyer, Beauford's friend and patron in Paris. Beauford captured the likeness of Tillie as well as those of her daughter Darthea and son James on canvas during the 1960s. The museum acquired the painting of Tillie Speyer from Darthea Speyer.
Organized by Andrew Carnegie in 1896, the Carnegie International is the oldest recurring exhibition of contemporary art in the United States. After the Venice Biennale, it is the oldest international survey exhibition in the world. The 2018 edition of the exhibition runs through March 25, 2019.
(1968) Oil on canvas
Carnegie Museum of Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It was selected by Cameroon-born, Senegal-based independent exhibition-maker Koyo Kouoh to be a part of "Dig Where You Stand," a show-within-a-show organized for the 2018 Carnegie International exhibition. Kouoh perused the collections of the Carnegie Museum and the neighboring Natural History Museum for her exhibition, which journalist Andrew Russeth calls "a Wunderkammer of art and artifacts focused on labor, colonialism, and depictions of power." She has placed Beauford's portrait of Speyer between a photograph of a young Queen Elizabeth II and one of Puerto Rican lacemakers.
Pittsburgh native Tillie Speyer was a painter and a sculptor. She was the mother of Darthea Speyer, Beauford's friend and patron in Paris. Beauford captured the likeness of Tillie as well as those of her daughter Darthea and son James on canvas during the 1960s. The museum acquired the painting of Tillie Speyer from Darthea Speyer.
Organized by Andrew Carnegie in 1896, the Carnegie International is the oldest recurring exhibition of contemporary art in the United States. After the Venice Biennale, it is the oldest international survey exhibition in the world. The 2018 edition of the exhibition runs through March 25, 2019.
Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville - Knoxville students' excursion to Paris a HUGE success! - Part 2
In last week's post, I shared information about the first half of the Paris excursion for the Knoxville students who are participating in the Classes Duo cultural exchange program.
Here's what happened next!
On the morning of Wednesday, October 10, I led the majority of the Nature's Way parents and children on a tour of Beauford's Montparnasse.
Gathering for the walking tour
© Wells International Foundation
As we walked in Beauford's footsteps, I talked about his life in the neighborhood, his burial at the cemetery in Thiais, and how I learned about his story and eventually founded Les Amis de Beauford Delaney to raise the money to place a tombstone at his grave.
That afternoon, Jean Zay and Nature's Way students visited the Centre Pompidou, France's national museum of modern and contemporary art.
Nature's Way families arrive at Centre Pompidou
© Wells International Foundation
Jean Zay students arrive at Centre Pompidou
© Wells International Foundation
Each group had a guide who spoke to the children in their native language. The guide for the Nature's Way kids began her presentation with a discussion about how modern and contemporary art are defined.
Nature's Way students with their guide
© Wells International Foundation
I tagged along with the French group and observed how their guide engaged the children with questions about paintings and sculptures by Fernand Leger, Pablo Picasso, and Constantin Brancusi.
Jean Zay students ponder a painting by Fernand Leger
© Wells International Foundation
The Knoxville students' parents enjoyed an unguided visit to the museum at the same time.
From the Pompidou Center, I led everyone over to the Galerie Intemporel, where owner Laurence Choko showed them six Beauford Delaney paintings and works on paper.
Arriving at Galerie Intemporel
© Wells International Foundation
Left to right: Laurence Choko and Monique Y. Wells
© Wells International Foundation
Laurence Choko shows Beauford Delaney works
© Wells International Foundation
Jean Zay students with Beauford Delaney portrait
© Wells International Foundation
Portrait of Vasilli Pikoula
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
That evening, several Nature's Way students slept over at the homes of French families.
On the morning of Thursday, October 11, all the Nature's Way families converged on Jean Zay Elementary School to be welcomed by the school's director, teachers, and entire student body.
Welcome assembly at Jean Zay Elementary School
© Wells International Foundation
The school provided a continental breakfast for the visitors and everyone got a tour of the facilities. Several French parents attended the breakfast to make the acquaintance of the American parents.
Breakfast
© Wells International Foundation
Nature's Way students in Jean Zay library
(the Zoom videoconference room)
© Wells International Foundation
The Nature's Way kids attended class with the French students for the duration of the morning, followed by lunch in the school canteen. They were fortunate to visit the school during La Semaine du Goût (Taste Week), a time when French children learn about the wide variety of French and international culinary traditions and learn how to appreciate cuisine. On the menu that day: Petit Salé aux Lentilles - a meat and lentil dish from the Auvergne region of France.
Once the students set off for class, I led a second walking tour of Beauford's Montparnasse for the parents who did not attend the walk on Wednesday morning. We returned to the school in time for the parents to pick their children up after lunch. Their afternoon was free.
On Friday, October 12, the morning was reserved for sightseeing in Montmartre. During the afternoon, everyone returned to Jean Zay Elementary School for the farewell pot, or reception. Juliette Blache, who has organized the video conferences for Jean Zay since the inception of the program, created an exhibition of the portraits the students created on Tuesday afternoon. She presented a slide show of photos of the week's activities that she accompanied with audio from Beauford's playlist. Everyone enjoyed this trip down what was quickly becoming "memory lane."
Watching the slide show
© Wells International Foundation
The entire group then moved to a large activity room for a French goûter (after-school snack) consisting of a variety of cookies, cakes, and juices.
Enjoying refreshments at the farewell reception
© Wells International Foundation
The students played hand games and collected snail mail addresses. Jean Zay children signed a soccer ball for one of the Nature's Way kids. Children hugged. Parents and teachers marveled at the harmony and energy the kids displayed and provided written testimonials about what this excursion has meant to their children and to them.
Farewell reception collage
© Wells International Foundation
After saying their goodbyes, the Nature's Way families enjoyed an evening consisting of dinner at an Alsatian restaurant, a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, and a stroll down the Champs Elysées. They returned to Knoxville on Saturday, October 13.
Overall, the trip was a RESOUNDING SUCCESS! Discussion about organizing a trip for the Jean Zay children to Knoxville is now underway.
Here's what happened next!
On the morning of Wednesday, October 10, I led the majority of the Nature's Way parents and children on a tour of Beauford's Montparnasse.
© Wells International Foundation
As we walked in Beauford's footsteps, I talked about his life in the neighborhood, his burial at the cemetery in Thiais, and how I learned about his story and eventually founded Les Amis de Beauford Delaney to raise the money to place a tombstone at his grave.
That afternoon, Jean Zay and Nature's Way students visited the Centre Pompidou, France's national museum of modern and contemporary art.
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
Each group had a guide who spoke to the children in their native language. The guide for the Nature's Way kids began her presentation with a discussion about how modern and contemporary art are defined.
© Wells International Foundation
I tagged along with the French group and observed how their guide engaged the children with questions about paintings and sculptures by Fernand Leger, Pablo Picasso, and Constantin Brancusi.
© Wells International Foundation
The Knoxville students' parents enjoyed an unguided visit to the museum at the same time.
From the Pompidou Center, I led everyone over to the Galerie Intemporel, where owner Laurence Choko showed them six Beauford Delaney paintings and works on paper.
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
Portrait of Vasilli Pikoula
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
That evening, several Nature's Way students slept over at the homes of French families.
On the morning of Thursday, October 11, all the Nature's Way families converged on Jean Zay Elementary School to be welcomed by the school's director, teachers, and entire student body.
© Wells International Foundation
The school provided a continental breakfast for the visitors and everyone got a tour of the facilities. Several French parents attended the breakfast to make the acquaintance of the American parents.
© Wells International Foundation
(the Zoom videoconference room)
© Wells International Foundation
The Nature's Way kids attended class with the French students for the duration of the morning, followed by lunch in the school canteen. They were fortunate to visit the school during La Semaine du Goût (Taste Week), a time when French children learn about the wide variety of French and international culinary traditions and learn how to appreciate cuisine. On the menu that day: Petit Salé aux Lentilles - a meat and lentil dish from the Auvergne region of France.
Once the students set off for class, I led a second walking tour of Beauford's Montparnasse for the parents who did not attend the walk on Wednesday morning. We returned to the school in time for the parents to pick their children up after lunch. Their afternoon was free.
On Friday, October 12, the morning was reserved for sightseeing in Montmartre. During the afternoon, everyone returned to Jean Zay Elementary School for the farewell pot, or reception. Juliette Blache, who has organized the video conferences for Jean Zay since the inception of the program, created an exhibition of the portraits the students created on Tuesday afternoon. She presented a slide show of photos of the week's activities that she accompanied with audio from Beauford's playlist. Everyone enjoyed this trip down what was quickly becoming "memory lane."
© Wells International Foundation
The entire group then moved to a large activity room for a French goûter (after-school snack) consisting of a variety of cookies, cakes, and juices.
© Wells International Foundation
The students played hand games and collected snail mail addresses. Jean Zay children signed a soccer ball for one of the Nature's Way kids. Children hugged. Parents and teachers marveled at the harmony and energy the kids displayed and provided written testimonials about what this excursion has meant to their children and to them.
© Wells International Foundation
After saying their goodbyes, the Nature's Way families enjoyed an evening consisting of dinner at an Alsatian restaurant, a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, and a stroll down the Champs Elysées. They returned to Knoxville on Saturday, October 13.
Overall, the trip was a RESOUNDING SUCCESS! Discussion about organizing a trip for the Jean Zay children to Knoxville is now underway.
Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville - Knoxville students' excursion to Paris a HUGE success! - Part 1
The Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville program that has steadily gained momentum since January 2018 has reached a critical milestone. The students from Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville realized a dream when they came to Paris to spend eight days discovering the city and meeting their French counterparts at the Jean Zay Elementary School.
The Knoxville kids and their families arrived on Friday, October 5th and kicked off their trip with an outdoor reception at the Jardin Atlantique in the 14th arrondissement. This man-made garden lies atop the Montparnasse train station. It is only a few blocks from Jean Zay Elementary School.
Nature's Way children at Jardin Atlantique
© Wells International Foundation
Enjoying the garden
© Wells International Foundation
Parents, grandparents, kids, and organizers having a good time
© Wells International Foundation
Saturday and Sunday were reserved for sightseeing and whatever rest the families could muster, given their anticipation of what was planned for the coming week.
On Monday, October 8th, five days of activity with the Jean Zay students began. That evening, the town hall of the 14th arrondissement welcomed the families from Jean Zay and Nature's Way with a reception to open the art exhibition of the students' work. This was held in the Salle de Mariage, the room where civil wedding ceremonies are performed.
Families seated in the Salle de Mariage
© Wells International Foundation
Featured were mixed media works by the Nature's Way children about traveling from Knoxville to Paris,
Nature's Way mixed-media works about travel to Paris
© Wells International Foundation
figurative portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and copies of Beauford's portrait of Charlie Parker by the Nature's Way children,
Nature's Way portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Wells International Foundation
Nature's Way works inspired by Charlie Parker (1968)
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Greece by the Nature's Way children,
Nature's Way works inspired inspired by Greece (1967)
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Les Embruns and an untitled abstract by Beauford by the Jean Zay children,
Jean Zay works inspired by Les Embruns (1963)
© Wells International Foundation
Jean Zay works inspired by untitled abstract
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works copied from Beauford's Untitled (Trees) by students at both schools,
Jean Zay (left) and Nature's Way (right) students' copies of Untitled (Trees)
© Wells International Foundation
and red clay busts of Josephine Baker by the Jean Zay children.
Jean Zay students' busts of Josephine Baker and
works inspired by Les Embruns (1963)
© Wells International Foundation
The kids met each other for the first time and got along smashingly well!
Nature's Way and Jean Zay students at town hall
© Wells International Foundation
On Tuesday, October 9th, the children met at Jean Zay for a portrait session. One child from each school sat opposite the other at a desk and sketched, then painted, the other student's portrait. The educators who supervised this activity were stunned by the silence and intense concentration that the students exhibited during this exercise!
Portrait session - Chaïness and Sarah
© Wells International Foundation
Portrait session - Andrew and Timothée
© Wells International Foundation
Portrait session - Mia and Aurlane
© Wells International Foundation
MaKenna by Iris
© Wells International Foundation
Read about the rest of the week's activities by clicking HERE.
The Knoxville kids and their families arrived on Friday, October 5th and kicked off their trip with an outdoor reception at the Jardin Atlantique in the 14th arrondissement. This man-made garden lies atop the Montparnasse train station. It is only a few blocks from Jean Zay Elementary School.
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
Saturday and Sunday were reserved for sightseeing and whatever rest the families could muster, given their anticipation of what was planned for the coming week.
On Monday, October 8th, five days of activity with the Jean Zay students began. That evening, the town hall of the 14th arrondissement welcomed the families from Jean Zay and Nature's Way with a reception to open the art exhibition of the students' work. This was held in the Salle de Mariage, the room where civil wedding ceremonies are performed.
© Wells International Foundation
Featured were mixed media works by the Nature's Way children about traveling from Knoxville to Paris,
© Wells International Foundation
figurative portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and copies of Beauford's portrait of Charlie Parker by the Nature's Way children,
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Greece by the Nature's Way children,
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works inspired by Beauford's Les Embruns and an untitled abstract by Beauford by the Jean Zay children,
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
abstract works copied from Beauford's Untitled (Trees) by students at both schools,
© Wells International Foundation
and red clay busts of Josephine Baker by the Jean Zay children.
works inspired by Les Embruns (1963)
© Wells International Foundation
The kids met each other for the first time and got along smashingly well!
© Wells International Foundation
On Tuesday, October 9th, the children met at Jean Zay for a portrait session. One child from each school sat opposite the other at a desk and sketched, then painted, the other student's portrait. The educators who supervised this activity were stunned by the silence and intense concentration that the students exhibited during this exercise!
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
Read about the rest of the week's activities by clicking HERE.
Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: October 2018 Sale
On Thursday, October 4, Swann Auction Galleries offered three Beauford Delaney works at its African-American Fine Art sale.
Untitled (African Figure) is a stunning yellow abstraction from Beauford's Paris years. Part of the description posted by Swann reads as follows:
"Delaney had an interest in African sculpture going back to his reading of Alain Locke's New Negro, and visiting artist Cloyd Boykin's Primitive African Arts Center in the 1930s. Having seen the influence of African art on Picasso and other modernist painters in both New York and Paris, Delaney often incorporated African motifs and figures, including Earth Mother, 1950 and Makonde Figure, 1952. There is also an oil on paper work that is the mirror image of this figure in the collection of the Knoxville Museum of Art."
Untitled (African Figure)
(1968) Oil on cotton canvas
610x502 mm; 24x19 3/4 inches
Signed and dated in oil, lower left
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price for this painting was $40,000 - $60,000. It sold for $173,000, including buyer's premium*.
Untitled (Abstracted Landscape) was a gift from Beauford to James and Gloria Jones, friends of his who lived in Paris and supported him considerably.
Untitled (Abstracted Landscape)
(1969) Watercolor on wove paper
559x762 mm; 22x30 inches
Signed, dated and inscribed "Avec amour. Pour Gamie"
in ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price for this painting was $6,000 - $9,000. It sold for $6,000, including buyer's premium.
The final painting offered was a figurative painting from Beauford's New York years.
The Swann Auction Galleries catalog describes Untitled (The Artist and Woman Seated) as
"... a remarkable and important work - a large 1940 oil painting with a self-portrait of the artist. This interior scene is a revealing and intimate view has been captured in only a few photographs - its location is not known."
Untitled (The Artist and Woman Seated)
(1940) Oil on linen canvas
762x914 mm; 30x36 inches
Signed and dated in oil, lower left
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
, a photograph of Beauford in his Greene Street studio shows him surrounded by paintings, including Untitled (The Artist and Woman Seated). The auction catalog speculates that the woman seated next to Beauford may be Jessie, a dancer and girlfriend of James Baldwin's friend, Emile Capouya.
The estimated sale price for this painting was $200,000 - $300,000. It went unsold.
*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 in addition to the hammer price. The buyer’s premium for items purchased directly through Swann is 25% of the hammer price, up to and including $100,000; 20% of the hammer price above $100,000 up to and including $1,000,000; 12% of the hammer price after $1,000,000. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Untitled (African Figure) is a stunning yellow abstraction from Beauford's Paris years. Part of the description posted by Swann reads as follows:
"Delaney had an interest in African sculpture going back to his reading of Alain Locke's New Negro, and visiting artist Cloyd Boykin's Primitive African Arts Center in the 1930s. Having seen the influence of African art on Picasso and other modernist painters in both New York and Paris, Delaney often incorporated African motifs and figures, including Earth Mother, 1950 and Makonde Figure, 1952. There is also an oil on paper work that is the mirror image of this figure in the collection of the Knoxville Museum of Art."
(1968) Oil on cotton canvas
610x502 mm; 24x19 3/4 inches
Signed and dated in oil, lower left
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price for this painting was $40,000 - $60,000. It sold for $173,000, including buyer's premium*.
Untitled (Abstracted Landscape) was a gift from Beauford to James and Gloria Jones, friends of his who lived in Paris and supported him considerably.
(1969) Watercolor on wove paper
559x762 mm; 22x30 inches
Signed, dated and inscribed "Avec amour. Pour Gamie"
in ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price for this painting was $6,000 - $9,000. It sold for $6,000, including buyer's premium.
The final painting offered was a figurative painting from Beauford's New York years.
The Swann Auction Galleries catalog describes Untitled (The Artist and Woman Seated) as
"... a remarkable and important work - a large 1940 oil painting with a self-portrait of the artist. This interior scene is a revealing and intimate view has been captured in only a few photographs - its location is not known."
(1940) Oil on linen canvas
762x914 mm; 30x36 inches
Signed and dated in oil, lower left
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
, a photograph of Beauford in his Greene Street studio shows him surrounded by paintings, including Untitled (The Artist and Woman Seated). The auction catalog speculates that the woman seated next to Beauford may be Jessie, a dancer and girlfriend of James Baldwin's friend, Emile Capouya.The estimated sale price for this painting was $200,000 - $300,000. It went unsold.
*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 in addition to the hammer price. The buyer’s premium for items purchased directly through Swann is 25% of the hammer price, up to and including $100,000; 20% of the hammer price above $100,000 up to and including $1,000,000; 12% of the hammer price after $1,000,000. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Beauford and France's Modern Art Museum
From his first days in Paris, Beauford found artistic inspiration at the Musée National d'Art Moderne - France's modern art museum.
He first visited the museum in Autumn 1953, when he saw a memorial show of Raoul Dufy's work.
Detail of poster advertising Raoul Dufy exhibition
One of his first exhibitions was held at the museum during the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, a major, annual exhibition of abstract art that was established in 1947 and hosted by the museum through 1969. Beauford contributed works to the Salons held in 1954, 1960, and 1963.
Additionally, Beauford saw the Joan Miró exhibition at the museum in 1962
Cover of Joan Miró e-book from
June - November 1962 exhibition at
Musée National d'Art Moderne
Screenshot from Dailymotion video
and took a course on modern art featuring Braque, Picasso, and Vlaminck there in 1967.
During this time, the Musée d'Art Moderne was located in the west wing of what is now called the Palais de Tokyo on avenue du Président Wilson in the 16th arrondissement. The City of Paris has had its own Musée d'Art Moderne, which is located in the east wing of this building, since 1961.
Palais de Tokyo
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
(view from Avenue de New York)
Coldcreation
Creative Commons Attribution
The national museum moved to the Pompidou Center in 1977, leaving the west wing of the Palais de Tokyo to be occupied by multiple inhabitants over the decades. It now houses a contemporary art center.
He first visited the museum in Autumn 1953, when he saw a memorial show of Raoul Dufy's work.
One of his first exhibitions was held at the museum during the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, a major, annual exhibition of abstract art that was established in 1947 and hosted by the museum through 1969. Beauford contributed works to the Salons held in 1954, 1960, and 1963.
Additionally, Beauford saw the Joan Miró exhibition at the museum in 1962
June - November 1962 exhibition at
Musée National d'Art Moderne
Screenshot from Dailymotion video
and took a course on modern art featuring Braque, Picasso, and Vlaminck there in 1967.
During this time, the Musée d'Art Moderne was located in the west wing of what is now called the Palais de Tokyo on avenue du Président Wilson in the 16th arrondissement. The City of Paris has had its own Musée d'Art Moderne, which is located in the east wing of this building, since 1961.
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
(view from Avenue de New York)
Coldcreation
Creative Commons Attribution
The national museum moved to the Pompidou Center in 1977, leaving the west wing of the Palais de Tokyo to be occupied by multiple inhabitants over the decades. It now houses a contemporary art center.
Historical Marker Honors Beauford and Joseph Delaney in Knoxville
Ever since the "Knoxville Eleven" came to Paris for the Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition in 2016 and saw the plaques that honor Beauford at two locations in Montparnasse, they have been on a mission to inspire the City of Knoxville to honor its native son in a similar fashion.
They have succeeded!
"Knoxville Eleven" on the Beauford Delaney
Commemorative Walking Tour in Paris
(2016) © Discover Paris!
In 2017, the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection at the East Tennessee Historical Center submitted a proposal to the State of Tennessee requesting the marker. The request was approved during the fall and work began on the marker's construction. Once completed, it was installed on Summit Hill Drive close to the location of the Delaney homestead during the month of August 2018.
On Thursday, September 13, 2018, the 114th anniversary of Joseph Delaney's birth, the double-sided marker was unveiled.
The text for Beauford's side of the marker reads as follows:
BEAUFORD DELANEY
1901 – 1979
Beauford Delaney is considered one of the
greatest abstract painters of the 20th century.
Battling poverty, racial prejudice and mental
illness, he achieved acclaim for his expressive
portraits, cityscapes and abstractions.
An African American artist, Beauford was one
of 10 children born to the Rev. John Samuel
and Delia Elizabeth Johnson Delaney at
815 East Vine Avenue near this site. He spent
most of his life in New York City and Paris, France,
forming lifelong friendships with writers James Baldwin,
Henry Miller, and other luminaries. Beauford Delaney
is buried in Cimetière Parisien de Thiais.
Beauford Delaney marker
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
The text for Joseph's side reads as follows:
JOSEPH DELANEY
1904 – 1991
Born near this site, Joseph Delaney, an African American
artist like his older brother Beauford, studied under
local artist Lloyd Branson. In 1930, Joseph began his
studies in New York at the Art Students League. He spent
the next 56 years painting portraits and scenes of urban
life in lower Manhattan. In 1986, he returned to Knoxville
and served as artist-in-residence at University of Tennessee
until his death in 1991. His works are in the collection of
the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other major museums.
Joseph Delaney is buried in Knoxville's Greenwood Cemetery.
Joseph Delaney marker
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
Speakers at the dedication ceremony included Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Knoxville Museum of Art trustee Sylvia Peters of the Gathering Light Delaney Project, and Reverend Renee Kesler of the Beck Cultural Center.
Unveiling ceremony for Beauford and Joseph Delaney marker
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Law Enforcement Credit Union at 501 E Summit Hill Dr. offered light refreshments in the lobby after the dedication.
They have succeeded!
Commemorative Walking Tour in Paris
(2016) © Discover Paris!
In 2017, the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection at the East Tennessee Historical Center submitted a proposal to the State of Tennessee requesting the marker. The request was approved during the fall and work began on the marker's construction. Once completed, it was installed on Summit Hill Drive close to the location of the Delaney homestead during the month of August 2018.
On Thursday, September 13, 2018, the 114th anniversary of Joseph Delaney's birth, the double-sided marker was unveiled.
The text for Beauford's side of the marker reads as follows:
1901 – 1979
Beauford Delaney is considered one of the
greatest abstract painters of the 20th century.
Battling poverty, racial prejudice and mental
illness, he achieved acclaim for his expressive
portraits, cityscapes and abstractions.
An African American artist, Beauford was one
of 10 children born to the Rev. John Samuel
and Delia Elizabeth Johnson Delaney at
815 East Vine Avenue near this site. He spent
most of his life in New York City and Paris, France,
forming lifelong friendships with writers James Baldwin,
Henry Miller, and other luminaries. Beauford Delaney
is buried in Cimetière Parisien de Thiais.
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
The text for Joseph's side reads as follows:
JOSEPH DELANEY
1904 – 1991
Born near this site, Joseph Delaney, an African American
artist like his older brother Beauford, studied under
local artist Lloyd Branson. In 1930, Joseph began his
studies in New York at the Art Students League. He spent
the next 56 years painting portraits and scenes of urban
life in lower Manhattan. In 1986, he returned to Knoxville
and served as artist-in-residence at University of Tennessee
until his death in 1991. His works are in the collection of
the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other major museums.
Joseph Delaney is buried in Knoxville's Greenwood Cemetery.
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
Speakers at the dedication ceremony included Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Knoxville Museum of Art trustee Sylvia Peters of the Gathering Light Delaney Project, and Reverend Renee Kesler of the Beck Cultural Center.
Image courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Law Enforcement Credit Union at 501 E Summit Hill Dr. offered light refreshments in the lobby after the dedication.
Joseph Delaney in Paris
In the current exhibition of Joseph Delaney works at the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA), Joseph Delaney: On the Move, there is a sketch of the Eiffel Tower that Joseph did when he came to visit Beauford in June 1976.
Joseph Delaney (Knoxville 1904-1991 Knoxville)
Sketchbook drawing of Paris, 1976
Ink on paper
Courtesy Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Joseph Delaney,
Mark K. Williams, Administrator C.T.A.
Photo courtesy of Dawn Kunkel*
By this time, Beauford was living at Sainte-Anne's Hospital. Beauford's biographer, David Leeming has the following to say about Joseph's visit:
Joseph had visited Beauford in Paris once before, in 1969. He spent three weeks in the City of Light and the brothers enjoyed strolling the streets together. According to Leeming:
Joseph returned to Paris in 1979 to attend his brother's funeral.
KMA has included the following sketch of the Louvre that he did during that visit.
Joseph Delaney (Knoxville 1904-1991 Knoxville)
Sketchbook drawing of Paris, 1979
Ballpoint pen on paper
Courtesy Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Joseph Delaney,
Mark K. Williams, Administrator C.T.A.
Photo courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
Stephen C. Wicks, Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator at KMA, states that he included this drawing in Joseph Delaney: On the Move "in order to underscore Joe’s concern for Beauford and his key role in helping to get Beauford’s belongings back to the U.S. after his death."
Image of a portrait of Joseph Delaney
by Beauford Delaney
in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
by David A. Leeming
*Dawn Kunkel is an art teacher at Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville, Tennessee. She will accompany the Knoxville students who are coming to Paris as part of the Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville program.
Sketchbook drawing of Paris, 1976
Ink on paper
Courtesy Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Joseph Delaney,
Mark K. Williams, Administrator C.T.A.
Photo courtesy of Dawn Kunkel*
By this time, Beauford was living at Sainte-Anne's Hospital. Beauford's biographer, David Leeming
has the following to say about Joseph's visit:Joseph Delaney came to Paris in the summer of 1976 as the family's representative, presumably to take charge of his brother, perhaps even to take him home. Apparently, however, finding that Beauford was without memory but at least comfortable, he decided to leave matters in the hands of Baldwin and the court-appointed trusteeship.
Joseph had visited Beauford in Paris once before, in 1969. He spent three weeks in the City of Light and the brothers enjoyed strolling the streets together. According to Leeming:
They explored the bookstores and galleries, talked of the past and of their work, and went to jazz clubs and the opera.
Joseph returned to Paris in 1979 to attend his brother's funeral.
KMA has included the following sketch of the Louvre that he did during that visit.
Sketchbook drawing of Paris, 1979
Ballpoint pen on paper
Courtesy Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Joseph Delaney,
Mark K. Williams, Administrator C.T.A.
Photo courtesy of the Knoxville Museum of Art
Stephen C. Wicks, Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator at KMA, states that he included this drawing in Joseph Delaney: On the Move "in order to underscore Joe’s concern for Beauford and his key role in helping to get Beauford’s belongings back to the U.S. after his death."
by Beauford Delaney
in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
by David A. Leeming
*Dawn Kunkel is an art teacher at Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville, Tennessee. She will accompany the Knoxville students who are coming to Paris as part of the Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville program.
Countdown to Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville Cultural Exchange in Paris
In less than four weeks, the students from Nature's Way Montessori School who are participating in the Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville video cultural exchange program will make their way to Paris to meet their French video pals.
Since December 2017, I have periodically reported on the unfolding of this groundbreaking project, which unites elementary school children from Nature's Way in Knoxville, TN and Jean Zay Elementary School in Paris, France through Beauford's life and art.
Nature's Way students as seen on video by Jean Zay students
© Wells International Foundation
Participants from both schools are 7-10 years old.
Through seven (7) video conferences held over the course of Spring Semester 2018, the children got to know each other by asking each other questions about their families, hobbies, and daily routines. With assistance from the program facilitators, including the use of phonetic spelling, the French children asked their questions in English and the American children asked theirs in French.
Phonetic spelling for an English-language question
asked by a Jean Zay student
© Wells International Foundation
Between sessions, the students participated in art lessons that included the exploration of science and social studies topics in addition to several aspects of Beauford's life in Knoxville and in Paris. They showed their paintings, drawings, and clay sculptures during the video sessions.
Nature's Way student shows Beauford's Untitled (Trees)(right)
and his copy of the work (left)
© Wells International Foundation
Jean Zay students show their Beauford Delaney portraits
© Wells International Foundation
At the end of the semester, the children from both schools were asked to express their thoughts about the program in individual video interviews. All of the Knoxville children gave their interviews in French!
Jean Zay video interviews
Nature's Way video interviews
Now, excitement is mounting as the Nature's Way kids and their families prepare for their trip and the Jean Zay kids, their families, and their school prepare to receive the Tennesseans. In anticipation, the students are copying Beauford's portraits of three of his favorite musicians - Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marian Anderson.
Charlie Parker
(1968) Oil on canvas
Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester
Photograph by Joshua Nefsky; Courtesy of
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Nature's Way student's copy of Beauford's Charlie Parker
Image courtesy of Nature's Way Montessori School
The visit will take place from October 5-13, 2018. Among the activities planned are a public art exhibition of the students work, a sleep-over for the Knoxville children with Parisian families, and an excursion to the Pompidou Center and the nearby Galerie Intemporel to see Beauford Delaney works.
After the trip, video conferences will continue to be organized for the students through the end of Spring Semester 2019.
Since December 2017, I have periodically reported on the unfolding of this groundbreaking project, which unites elementary school children from Nature's Way in Knoxville, TN and Jean Zay Elementary School in Paris, France through Beauford's life and art.
© Wells International Foundation
Participants from both schools are 7-10 years old.
Through seven (7) video conferences held over the course of Spring Semester 2018, the children got to know each other by asking each other questions about their families, hobbies, and daily routines. With assistance from the program facilitators, including the use of phonetic spelling, the French children asked their questions in English and the American children asked theirs in French.
asked by a Jean Zay student
© Wells International Foundation
Between sessions, the students participated in art lessons that included the exploration of science and social studies topics in addition to several aspects of Beauford's life in Knoxville and in Paris. They showed their paintings, drawings, and clay sculptures during the video sessions.
and his copy of the work (left)
© Wells International Foundation
© Wells International Foundation
At the end of the semester, the children from both schools were asked to express their thoughts about the program in individual video interviews. All of the Knoxville children gave their interviews in French!
Jean Zay video interviews
Nature's Way video interviews
Now, excitement is mounting as the Nature's Way kids and their families prepare for their trip and the Jean Zay kids, their families, and their school prepare to receive the Tennesseans. In anticipation, the students are copying Beauford's portraits of three of his favorite musicians - Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marian Anderson.
(1968) Oil on canvas
Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester
Photograph by Joshua Nefsky; Courtesy of
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Nature's Way Montessori School
The visit will take place from October 5-13, 2018. Among the activities planned are a public art exhibition of the students work, a sleep-over for the Knoxville children with Parisian families, and an excursion to the Pompidou Center and the nearby Galerie Intemporel to see Beauford Delaney works.
After the trip, video conferences will continue to be organized for the students through the end of Spring Semester 2019.
September 1953 - Beauford Arrives in Paris
Beauford arrived in Paris in early September 1953. His first steps on the ground in the French capital were at the Gare Saint Lazare.
Gare Saint Lazare (1951)
SNCF Open Archives
He had traveled to France on the SS Liberté, in the company of fellow artist, Herbert Gentry. But he somehow lost sight of Gentry upon docking and took the train to Paris alone.
As was typical of Beauford when he traveled, he was disoriented and frightened by the time the train pulled into Saint Lazare station.
According to Beauford's biographer, David Leeming, just as Beauford began to feel panicky, he was approached by two friends from New York - Robert Blackburn and Oliver Harrington.
Blackburn, a printmaker, was in Paris because he had received the John Hay Whitney Fellowship to work at the renowned Atelier Desjobert (a lithograph print shop) in 1953–1954.
Harrington, a cartoonist and journalist, had been in Paris since 1951. He left the United States to avoid being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee as a suspected Communist. He was the creator of the famous comic character, Bootsie.
Left: Beauford Delaney by Carl Van Vechten (1953)
Right: from top to bottom - Ollie Harrington (1954), Herb Gentry (1950), and Bob Blackburn (1951)*
Gentry, who was returning to Paris after having spent two years in New York, found the three men on the platform. He, Blackburn, and Harrington all accompanied Beauford to a hotel on boulevard Raspail in Montparnasse.
The following day, Beauford moved from that hotel (name unknown) to the Hôtel Odessa, which is where Les Amis de Beauford Delaney had a commemorative plaque installed in his honor in 2015.
*Fair use claimed for images at right of collage.
SNCF Open Archives
He had traveled to France on the SS Liberté, in the company of fellow artist, Herbert Gentry. But he somehow lost sight of Gentry upon docking and took the train to Paris alone.
As was typical of Beauford when he traveled, he was disoriented and frightened by the time the train pulled into Saint Lazare station.
According to Beauford's biographer, David Leeming
, just as Beauford began to feel panicky, he was approached by two friends from New York - Robert Blackburn and Oliver Harrington.Blackburn, a printmaker, was in Paris because he had received the John Hay Whitney Fellowship to work at the renowned Atelier Desjobert (a lithograph print shop) in 1953–1954.
Harrington, a cartoonist and journalist, had been in Paris since 1951. He left the United States to avoid being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee as a suspected Communist. He was the creator of the famous comic character, Bootsie.
Right: from top to bottom - Ollie Harrington (1954), Herb Gentry (1950), and Bob Blackburn (1951)*
Gentry, who was returning to Paris after having spent two years in New York, found the three men on the platform. He, Blackburn, and Harrington all accompanied Beauford to a hotel on boulevard Raspail in Montparnasse.
The following day, Beauford moved from that hotel (name unknown) to the Hôtel Odessa, which is where Les Amis de Beauford Delaney had a commemorative plaque installed in his honor in 2015.
*Fair use claimed for images at right of collage.
August 1964 - Beauford's Family Visits Paris
Beauford's brother Emery, sister-in-law Gertrude, and niece Imogene visited Beauford in Paris in August 1964.
From Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney:
The biography gives no further details about what the family may have seen during its sightseeing forays.
For those who do not know Paris, here are some present day images of major landmarks and monuments that Emery, Gertrude, and Imogene likely saw during their stay:
The Eiffel Tower, viewed from boulevard Pasteur (very near the location of Beauford's rue Vercingétorix studio)
Eiffel Tower viewed from boulevard Pasteur
© Discover Paris!
Palais Garnier, Paris' opera house during Beauford's Paris years
Palais Garnier
© Discover Paris!
The Louvre, viewed from the Musée d'Orsay
Louvre
© Discover Paris!
Sacré Coeur Basilica, Montmartre
Sacré Coeur
© Discover Paris!
Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
© Discover Paris!
And here is an image of the self-portrait that Beauford began during their visit:
Auto-portrait
(1965) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It is currently held by the Whitney Museum of American Art. The portrait was featured during the exhibition Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney's Collection that was shown from
April 27, 2016 through February 12, 2017.
From Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
:On the first Sunday Emery and Beauford went alone to mass at Notre Dame ... during the day there was time to sightsee ... as well as time for Beauford to do sketches for portraits of all three loved ones along with a self-portrait, his greatest of many, that would be finished in 1965.
The biography gives no further details about what the family may have seen during its sightseeing forays.
For those who do not know Paris, here are some present day images of major landmarks and monuments that Emery, Gertrude, and Imogene likely saw during their stay:
The Eiffel Tower, viewed from boulevard Pasteur (very near the location of Beauford's rue Vercingétorix studio)
© Discover Paris!
Palais Garnier, Paris' opera house during Beauford's Paris years
© Discover Paris!
The Louvre, viewed from the Musée d'Orsay
© Discover Paris!
Sacré Coeur Basilica, Montmartre
© Discover Paris!
Place de la Concorde
© Discover Paris!
And here is an image of the self-portrait that Beauford began during their visit:
(1965) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It is currently held by the Whitney Museum of American Art. The portrait was featured during the exhibition Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney's Collection that was shown from
April 27, 2016 through February 12, 2017.
Black in Appalachia: Beauford Delaney
As a non-profit, viewer-supported television station and PBS member station, East Tennessee PBS provides lifelong learning opportunities to more than 1 million viewers in East Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Southeast Virginia and Western North Carolina. Through its Blacks in Appalachia project, it is working to research, archive and raise the visibility of the region’s African-American history and contributions.
William Isom II, East Tennessee PBS' Director of Community Outreach, interviewed me several months ago as part of his research for a video documentary about Beauford. The final product, a 6m29s video, is beautifully done!
View it here:
William Isom II, East Tennessee PBS' Director of Community Outreach, interviewed me several months ago as part of his research for a video documentary about Beauford. The final product, a 6m29s video, is beautifully done!
View it here:
Sainte Anne's Hospital: An Oasis of Calm
Last Saturday, I visited Sainte-Anne Hospital after catching up with a long-time friend at the nearby Marriott Rive Gauche hotel.
(For those who may not know, Sainte-Anne's is where Beauford spent the last four years of his life.)
It was a hot and breezy day and I planned to do a quick walk through to see how the renovation of the facility and landscape is progressing.
As I made my way down the main "thoroughfare" - the Allée Paul Verlaine - I felt as though I had been transported out of the city of Paris and into an idyllic little hamlet.
Allée Paul Verlaine
© Discover Paris!
There was absolutely no traffic noise and very few people were moving about on the immaculate grounds, which are vibrant with flowers and greenery. It was an oasis of calm.
Central Pharmacy and Maurice Ravel courtyard
© Discover Paris!
Galerie Maurice Utrillo
© Discover Paris!
Lawn and flower beds flanking Allée Camille Claudel
© Discover Paris!
Chapel
© Discover Paris!
I no longer felt the urge to move quickly.
I discovered that the exterior of the Benjamin Ball pavilion has been completely cleaned. It is one of the buildings in the area where Beauford's room was located.
Pavillon Benjamin Ball
© Discover Paris!
I also discovered a vegetable garden behind another pavilion in this same area. Beautiful squashes are growing there!
Squashes in vegetable garden
© Discover Paris!
To my delight, I found several portraits from the Saint Anne Museum of Art and History displayed on a stone wall.
Galerie des Portraits - MAHHSA
© Discover Paris!
I learned that Sainte-Anne's has an archive that the general public can access. I plan to return to see what I can learn about how the facility was laid out during Beauford's stay.
(For those who may not know, Sainte-Anne's is where Beauford spent the last four years of his life.)
It was a hot and breezy day and I planned to do a quick walk through to see how the renovation of the facility and landscape is progressing.
As I made my way down the main "thoroughfare" - the Allée Paul Verlaine - I felt as though I had been transported out of the city of Paris and into an idyllic little hamlet.
© Discover Paris!
There was absolutely no traffic noise and very few people were moving about on the immaculate grounds, which are vibrant with flowers and greenery. It was an oasis of calm.
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
I no longer felt the urge to move quickly.
I discovered that the exterior of the Benjamin Ball pavilion has been completely cleaned. It is one of the buildings in the area where Beauford's room was located.
© Discover Paris!
I also discovered a vegetable garden behind another pavilion in this same area. Beautiful squashes are growing there!
© Discover Paris!
To my delight, I found several portraits from the Saint Anne Museum of Art and History displayed on a stone wall.
© Discover Paris!
I learned that Sainte-Anne's has an archive that the general public can access. I plan to return to see what I can learn about how the facility was laid out during Beauford's stay.
Beauford Enters the Carnetta and Norm Davis Collection
Carnetta and Norm Davis placed the winning bid for the Beauford Delaney pastel entitled Portrait of a Young Man during the Case Antiques auction house on July 14.
Carnetta Davis graciously granted Les Amis the following interview about this latest acquisition.
Carnetta Davis and Portrait of a Young Man
Image courtesy of Carnetta Davis
Portrait of a Young Man
(1938) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Les Amis: Why are you so passionate about collecting art?
C. D.: After learning of the struggles of the early African-American artists to be recognized equally with their peers of other races, my husband Norm and I decided in our own way to try to help forgotten and underappreciated artists, mostly due to discrimination, receive long overdue recognition. We welcome people into our home and loan works to museums and galleries to help educate the public on this genre of work. We also desire to call attention to the works of living African American artists whose past experiences are unique and helped to define their unique brand of American Art.
Les Amis: How long have you been collecting?
C. D.: My husband, Norm and I have always collected, but not always art. About fourteen (14) years ago, we shifted our focus to art by African American artists.
Les Amis: Do you have a selection process for the pieces you collect?
C. D.: Yes. We have an ever-changing list of artists that we are interested in collecting. Recently we have specifically focused on artists who were educators and artists from Alabama and the South, but we have significant artists from all over the United States in our collection.
Les Amis: What makes your collection distinctive?
C. D.: The collection includes more than 150 works of African-American art, spanning the 19th to the 21st centuries and with this collection, we attempt to show the evolution of African American Art. We also collect works by artists who at one time were significant when living but are currently off the radar. We also have works in our collection that are not by African Americans or American artists but are simply items that we were drawn to or inherited from family members.
Carnetta Davis with Portrait of a Young Man and
other pieces from the Davis Collection
Image courtesy of Carnetta Davis
Les Amis: What about Beauford Delaney's art is appealing to you?
C. D.: In addition to pleasing aesthetics, I enjoy art that tells stories. I love the fact that if you examine his works over the years and study his life story, you can distinctively see how his work evolved. His use of color is especially appealing.
Les Amis: Why is it important to you to have his work in your collection?
C. D.: Beauford Delaney seemed to be a free spirit who did not conform to what was expected of African American artists of the times. He learned and grew from experiences shared with people from a very wide range of ethnicities and cultures. He followed his dreams and relocated to Paris. This fluidity of his spirit shows in his work over time. His story is just as significant as his art.
Les Amis: Does the fact that Beauford is from the South play a role in your interest in his art?
C. D.: Most definitely. As a daughter of the South, born and reared in Birmingham, Alabama, I feel a connection to other Southerners who create and appreciate art.
Les Amis: Do you have a preference for his abstract or figurative works?
C. D.: I prefer his abstract works but Portrait of a Young Man, a figurative expressionism work, speaks to me. Characteristics of this work provide insight on the direction his work would take.
Les Amis: What attracted you to Portrait of a Young Man?
C. D.: It fits perfectly into our collecting “sweet spot”. It is an early work (1938) that is unlike anything we own. It helps tell the story and illustrate how his work evolved. In 1938, Delaney was photographed painting in Washington Square in New York City by Life magazine. This work could have been painted by him there.
Les Amis: Does this piece tell a story to you?
C. D.: I have the desire to want to know more about how the young man came to be a subject for this painting.
Les Amis: Do you have other Beauford Delaney works?
C. D.: No, but I would like to acquire others, especially one of his abstracts. We have two (2) paintings by his brother, Joseph Delaney.
Les Amis: Do you have any comments to add?
C. D.: I am happy the planets aligned, and we were able to add this work to our collection. We look forward to sharing it along with what we have learned about Beauford Delaney and his work with others.
Carnetta Davis graciously granted Les Amis the following interview about this latest acquisition.
Image courtesy of Carnetta Davis
Portrait of a Young Man
(1938) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Les Amis: Why are you so passionate about collecting art?
C. D.: After learning of the struggles of the early African-American artists to be recognized equally with their peers of other races, my husband Norm and I decided in our own way to try to help forgotten and underappreciated artists, mostly due to discrimination, receive long overdue recognition. We welcome people into our home and loan works to museums and galleries to help educate the public on this genre of work. We also desire to call attention to the works of living African American artists whose past experiences are unique and helped to define their unique brand of American Art.
Les Amis: How long have you been collecting?
C. D.: My husband, Norm and I have always collected, but not always art. About fourteen (14) years ago, we shifted our focus to art by African American artists.
Les Amis: Do you have a selection process for the pieces you collect?
C. D.: Yes. We have an ever-changing list of artists that we are interested in collecting. Recently we have specifically focused on artists who were educators and artists from Alabama and the South, but we have significant artists from all over the United States in our collection.
Les Amis: What makes your collection distinctive?
C. D.: The collection includes more than 150 works of African-American art, spanning the 19th to the 21st centuries and with this collection, we attempt to show the evolution of African American Art. We also collect works by artists who at one time were significant when living but are currently off the radar. We also have works in our collection that are not by African Americans or American artists but are simply items that we were drawn to or inherited from family members.
other pieces from the Davis Collection
Image courtesy of Carnetta Davis
Les Amis: What about Beauford Delaney's art is appealing to you?
C. D.: In addition to pleasing aesthetics, I enjoy art that tells stories. I love the fact that if you examine his works over the years and study his life story, you can distinctively see how his work evolved. His use of color is especially appealing.
Les Amis: Why is it important to you to have his work in your collection?
C. D.: Beauford Delaney seemed to be a free spirit who did not conform to what was expected of African American artists of the times. He learned and grew from experiences shared with people from a very wide range of ethnicities and cultures. He followed his dreams and relocated to Paris. This fluidity of his spirit shows in his work over time. His story is just as significant as his art.
Les Amis: Does the fact that Beauford is from the South play a role in your interest in his art?
C. D.: Most definitely. As a daughter of the South, born and reared in Birmingham, Alabama, I feel a connection to other Southerners who create and appreciate art.
Les Amis: Do you have a preference for his abstract or figurative works?
C. D.: I prefer his abstract works but Portrait of a Young Man, a figurative expressionism work, speaks to me. Characteristics of this work provide insight on the direction his work would take.
Les Amis: What attracted you to Portrait of a Young Man?
C. D.: It fits perfectly into our collecting “sweet spot”. It is an early work (1938) that is unlike anything we own. It helps tell the story and illustrate how his work evolved. In 1938, Delaney was photographed painting in Washington Square in New York City by Life magazine. This work could have been painted by him there.
Les Amis: Does this piece tell a story to you?
C. D.: I have the desire to want to know more about how the young man came to be a subject for this painting.
Les Amis: Do you have other Beauford Delaney works?
C. D.: No, but I would like to acquire others, especially one of his abstracts. We have two (2) paintings by his brother, Joseph Delaney.
Les Amis: Do you have any comments to add?
C. D.: I am happy the planets aligned, and we were able to add this work to our collection. We look forward to sharing it along with what we have learned about Beauford Delaney and his work with others.
Beauford and the James Baldwin Writers' Colony in Paris
The James Baldwin Writers' Colony is a Global Pathways study abroad program offered by Emerson College at its Kasteel Well facility in the Netherlands.
Running from July 5 - August 2, the course description invites participating students to "write, workshop and revise short works of creative fiction and nonfiction inspired by the literature of African Americans who lived and work in Europe." It further indicates that "Excursions to Amsterdam and Paris, France will enable you to walk in the footsteps of literary giants such as James Baldwin, Richard Wright and Chester Himes.
The Paris excursion included a luncheon at the Café Select. Program Cultural Architect Charles Reese invited me to share in this meal and talk about the relationship between Beauford and James Baldwin. He also asked me to explain the significance of the café in their lives.
Café Select
© Discover Paris!
James Baldwin Writer's Colony at the Café Select
© Discover Paris!
Serendipitously, the group was seated in the same space where Les Amis celebrated the first anniversary of the laying of Beauford's tombstone at Thiais Cemetery.
Monique addressing the crowd at 1st anniversary celebration
© Discover Paris!
The luncheon meeting was sandwiched between a black Paris history tour given by Julia Browne of Walking the Spirit tours and an encounter at the U.S. Embassy.
I spoke about the first encounter between Beauford and Baldwin in NYC, how Beauford became a mentor for Baldwin during his formative years, and how the "tables turned" when Beauford moved to Paris and became part of Baldwin's entourage. Baldwin felt increasingly responsible for Beauford as Beauford suffered bouts of physical and mental illness, and was eventually named as part of the tutelle (trusteeship) that managed Beauford's affairs when he was committed to the Hôpital Sainte-Anne in 1975.
I also spoke about the Select as one of Beauford's last favorite hangouts in Montparnasse and how the café figures into Baldwin's novel, Giovanni's Room.
Dr. Anthony Pinder, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Internationalization, & Global Engagement, was one of the professors on the excursion. He opened the floor to questions with one of his own about how, as travel professionals who specialize in black Paris history, Browne and I determine the "truth" of what we present to our audiences and how we decide to present information so that it is best received by audiences with different levels of understanding regarding this information. This sparked a lively discussion!
Browne passed a couple of images around - one of Beauford, James Baldwin, and Wilmer Baldwin at the American Cultural Center and one of a painting that Beauford created during his New York years.
Beauford and the Baldwin brothers at the American Cultural Center
Photo: U.S. Information Service
The conversation then turned to how Beauford's work is valued and whether his estate is benefiting from the use of his work for commercial purposes.
My part of the event ended with me taking photos with Reese, Browne, and Dr. Pinder.
From left to right:
Charles Reese, Monique Y. Wells, and Dr. Anthony Pinder
© Discover Paris!
Julia Browne and Monique Y. Wells
© Discover Paris!
It is always my privilege and pleasure to share information about Beauford's life and art with study abroad students!
Running from July 5 - August 2, the course description invites participating students to "write, workshop and revise short works of creative fiction and nonfiction inspired by the literature of African Americans who lived and work in Europe." It further indicates that "Excursions to Amsterdam and Paris, France will enable you to walk in the footsteps of literary giants such as James Baldwin, Richard Wright and Chester Himes.
The Paris excursion included a luncheon at the Café Select. Program Cultural Architect Charles Reese invited me to share in this meal and talk about the relationship between Beauford and James Baldwin. He also asked me to explain the significance of the café in their lives.
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
Serendipitously, the group was seated in the same space where Les Amis celebrated the first anniversary of the laying of Beauford's tombstone at Thiais Cemetery.
© Discover Paris!
The luncheon meeting was sandwiched between a black Paris history tour given by Julia Browne of Walking the Spirit tours and an encounter at the U.S. Embassy.
I spoke about the first encounter between Beauford and Baldwin in NYC, how Beauford became a mentor for Baldwin during his formative years, and how the "tables turned" when Beauford moved to Paris and became part of Baldwin's entourage. Baldwin felt increasingly responsible for Beauford as Beauford suffered bouts of physical and mental illness, and was eventually named as part of the tutelle (trusteeship) that managed Beauford's affairs when he was committed to the Hôpital Sainte-Anne in 1975.
I also spoke about the Select as one of Beauford's last favorite hangouts in Montparnasse and how the café figures into Baldwin's novel, Giovanni's Room.
Dr. Anthony Pinder, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Internationalization, & Global Engagement, was one of the professors on the excursion. He opened the floor to questions with one of his own about how, as travel professionals who specialize in black Paris history, Browne and I determine the "truth" of what we present to our audiences and how we decide to present information so that it is best received by audiences with different levels of understanding regarding this information. This sparked a lively discussion!
Browne passed a couple of images around - one of Beauford, James Baldwin, and Wilmer Baldwin at the American Cultural Center and one of a painting that Beauford created during his New York years.
Photo: U.S. Information Service
The conversation then turned to how Beauford's work is valued and whether his estate is benefiting from the use of his work for commercial purposes.
My part of the event ended with me taking photos with Reese, Browne, and Dr. Pinder.
Charles Reese, Monique Y. Wells, and Dr. Anthony Pinder
© Discover Paris!
© Discover Paris!
It is always my privilege and pleasure to share information about Beauford's life and art with study abroad students!
Portrait of a Young Man Sold at Case Antiques Auction
Case Antiques in Knoxville, TN sold Beauford's pastel on paper work entitled Portrait of a Young Man on July 14.
(1938) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The sale price was $3,172, including the buyer's premium.
Len de Rohan, Appraiser for Case's Knoxville Consignment, Research, and Cataloging team, granted me an interview after the sale. She shared that Case has sold eleven (11) lots of Beauford's work since 2015, including Portrait of a Young Man. To find images and information about these works, click HERE.
De Rohan said that John Case, Co-owner and President of Case Antiques, believes that 30% of the buyers of Beauford's work are Tennessee residents, including institutions; 20% more are Southern; and the balance are from the metropolitan areas of NYC and Chicago. The largest amount of consignments come from the Delaney estate.
Because Beauford is a Knoxville native and a very important Tennessee and American artist, and because the Knoxville Museum of Art has accumulated the largest public collection of Beauford's works, Case, as the premier auction house in Tennessee, is making efforts to be known for selling Beauford's works. They pride themselves on their relationship with Beauford's estate as well as with public institutions and private collectors.