Springtime

Spring has definitely sprung in Paris!

In today's blog, I'm posting a few abstract paintings by Beauford that I think perfectly represent the season.

Sollis Toucan 

(1963) Oil on canvas

© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Soullis Toucas

(Beauford's gift to Roy Freeman)

Oil on canvas

© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled

(1956) Aquarelle on paper

© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
Watercolor on paper
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
(1968) Gouache on paper
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
If you celebrate Easter, I wish you a happy one!

Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 4

For the last installment of the Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month series, I'm featuring images of three sketches that Beauford created for Unsung Americans Sung, the book edited by Beauford's friend, W. C. Handy.

Phillis Wheatley

Phyllis Wheatley
Pencil sketch
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Beauford's sketch was undoubtedly inspired by the 1773 engraving that graced the cover of Phillis (Phyllis) Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.

Portrait of Phillis Wheatley
Attributed to Scipio Moorhead
Image in Public Domain

Wheatley was the first black woman to publish a book of poetry in the U.S.  Read about her here.

Sissieretta Jones

Sissieretta Jones
Pencil sketch
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

 

I believe Beauford's sketch was inspired by the photograph of Jones by African-American photographer Addison N. Scurlock.

 

Sissieretta Jones
c. 1911 Addison N. Scurlock
H. Lawrence Freeman Collection
Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Columbia University
Fair Use Claim

 

Sissieretta Jones was a formally trained opera singer who became known as "the Black Patti."  She was the first African American to headline at Carnegie Hall in NYC.  Read about her here.

Florence Mills

Florence Mills
Pencil sketch
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

James Van Der Zee's 1927 portrait of Florence Mills was the model for Beauford's sketch of this consummate performer.

 

 Florence Mills
1927 James Van Der Zee
Vintage gelatin silver print
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Fair Use Claim

Read about her here.

Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 3

During this first celebration of Women's History Month on the Les Amis blog, I've brought you images of Beauford's mom, Delia, and images of two renowned singers whose images Beauford captured on canvas. 

Today, I am sharing images of two little known works in which Beauford portrayed an icon of African-American and women's history: Harriet Tubman. 

The first work is a pencil sketch that appears in a book called Unsung Americans Sung, which was edited by W. C. Handy and published in 1944.

Harriet Tubman
Pencil sketch
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

It was likely inspired by the photograph shown below:

 Harriet Tubman (1911), full-length portrait,
seated in chair, facing front,
probably at her home in Auburn, New York
Source: Library of Congress
Public Domain

The second is a work on paper, most recently shown at the Transcending Race and Time exhibition at the University of Tennessee (UT) Downtown Gallery in Knoxville.

Portrait of Harriet Tubman at the UT Downtown Gallery
(1953) Mixed Media on Paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

A black and white image of this work appears in David Leeming's biography entitled Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney. 

In Amazing Grace, the portrait is (mis)labeled as Delia Delaney, as shown in the image above. 

The reasoning behind the assertion that the label in the book is incorrect is as follows: 

1) The Beauford Delaney estate has recorded the name of the work as Harriet Tubman. 

2) The person in the work looks very much like Harriet Tubman and not very much like Delia Delaney. 

Harriet Tubman (1895)
Horatio Seymour Squyer
National Portrait Gallery
Public Domain

Harriet Tubman's birth year has never definitively been established (c. 1820), but we know that she died on March 10, 1913.

To learn more about this famous abolitionist and women's suffragist, click HERE.

Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 2

Beauford portrayed two legendary female singers on canvas: Marian Anderson and Ella Fitzgerald.

Marian Anderson
(1965) Oil on canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald
(1968) Oil on canvas
Permanent collection of the SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah
Gift of Dr. Walter O. and Mrs. Linda J. Evans
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The Anderson portrait inspired British opera singer Peter Brathwaite to create his own version of it as part of the 2020 Getty Museum Challenge to use everyday items at home to recreate a work of art. He launched his own project called "Rediscovering Black Portraiture" and recreated 93 works with amazing results.

Brathwaite poses in all his renditions of classic portraits of black people, from Mansa Musa to Barack Obama. Women were not off limits - he recreated portraits of the Queen of Sheba, the Virgin of Guadelupe, and other women in addition to Marian Anderson.

Brathwaite painted a raincoat to reproduce Anderson's jacket and painted his face to resemble the hue of Anderson's skin in Beauford's portrait. (No mention is made of whether he was aware of Beauford's raincoat painting, which is held by the Minneapolis Institute of Art.)

He created an 8-part tweet from the information posted about the reproduction on his Website.

To see the diptych of the photo of Brathwaite as Marian Anderson and the image of Beauford's portrait of her, click HERE.

Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 1

March is Women's History Month and International Women's Day will be celebrated in just two days.

This year, Les Amis is celebrating Women's History Month by spotlighting Beauford's paintings of various women.

Beauford's mother, Delia, was by far the most important woman in Beauford's life. I featured her in two Les Amis blog posts:

Delia Delaney - Beauford's Beloved Mother

Happy Birthday, Delia Delaney!

and have published images of Beauford's portraits of her many times.

My favorite is the 1933 pastel that is held by the Knoxville Museum of Art.

Portrait of Delia Delaney
(1933) Pastel on paper
Knoxville Museum of Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

In Paris, several women supported Beauford with their friendship and financial resources.

Solange du Closel was a staunch patron and supporter, going so far as to provide Beauford with his living space / studio from 1962 to 1975.

Mme du Closel No. 4
(1972) Pastel on paper
G. R. N'Namdi Gallery
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Darthea Speyer became a primary conduit for the sale of Beauford's work after the two met in 1956.

Darthea
(1965) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Galerie Darthea Speyer

Geneviève Brouard was a friend and patron who frequently invited Beauford to her home to dine.

Portrait of Geneviève Brouard
(1964) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image by Discover Paris!

Beauford's Studio - Scenes from "Meeting the Man"

I was thrilled to learn that the recently restored short documentary called "Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris" contains footage shot inside Beauford's rue Vercingétorix studio.

As the camera pans around the small room, you see Baldwin, Beauford, Baldwin's brother David, and several young people sitting or lounging on what appears to be a bed.

The chair that Baldwin sits in is draped in white cloth, which is characteristic of Beauford's habit of covering surfaces in his living space with white to increase the light available for painting.

The walls are covered with Beauford's paintings.

An additional work, which leans against a wall to Baldwin's left, presents two figurative beings, one of which has a luminous eye that reminds me of the eye in the image of the painting shown below.

The Eye
(1965) Oil on canvas
Private Collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

View two <2-minute clips from the 27-minute documentary at the links below.

  Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1:32 minutes)

Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1:48 minutes)

Lives in Art: Discussions on Beauford and Joseph Delaney

As part of the current The Delaney Brothers: Lives in Art exhibition at the UT Downtown Gallery in Knoxville, TN, the gallery recently hosted a virtual discussion during which three scholars discussed Beauford and Joseph Delaney's lives and work.

Screenshot of the UT Downtown Gallery discussion
Top row: Jared Sprecher (L) and Mary Campbell (R)
Bottom: Fred Moffatt

UT Associate Professor Mary Campbell discusses Beauford, Professor Emeritus Fred Moffatt discusses Joseph, and Professor Jared Sprecher discusses both brothers.  

Campbell gives a fascinating presentation about Beauford, including a detailed discussion of the derivation of the name of Beauford's first portrait of James Baldwin - Dark Rapture.

Dark Rapture
(1941) Oil on masonite
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Watch the entire discussion here: https://vimeo.com/513051130

Beauford's Black Mentor

If you know Beauford's life story, chances are great that you've heard about Lloyd Branson, the white Confederate apologist who put aside his prejudices to give a teenaged Beauford art lessons and encourage him to undertake formal study in Boston.

You may not have heard of another man - a black man - who also significantly influenced young Beauford's life.

His name was Charles Cansler.

Charles W. Cansler in 1930
Fair use claim

BlackPast.org reports that Charles Warner Cansler (1871-1953) was a railway mail clerk, lawyer, educator, and noted mathematician, who spent most of his life working to better the lives of African Americans in Eastern Tennessee by way of education. He began teaching at Austin High School, the city's only high school for black students, in 1900, and became principal there in 1911.

Austin High School moved to a new location and was re-baptised Knoxville Colored High School in 1916. Cansler was principal there as well.

Beauford entered high school at the age of fourteen and was a pupil during Cansler's tenure as principal. Biographer David Leeming indicates that Cansler would invite Beauford to his home at that young age.

Cansler was accustomed to welcoming black celebrities such as classical singer Roland Hayes and writer/civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson into his home, and he would provide Beauford with letters of introduction to prominent members of Boston society when Beauford moved there in 1923. 

Beauford went on to meet Hayes and Johnson in Boston. These and other acquaintances made because of Cansler's introductions (and those provided by members of Beauford's church) influenced Beauford's sociopolitical awareness and fed his love of and appreciation for classical music.

Beauford Showing in Two Southern "Villes"

Two southern cities are hosting exhibitions of Beauford's work this year.

In the aftermath of its solo exhibition entitled Beauford Delaney: Transcending Race and Time, the University of Tennessee (UT) Downtown Gallery is showing Beauford's work alongside that of his brother Joseph in the exhibition entitled The Delaney Brothers: Lives in Art.  It will be the first time the two artists’ works are shown together in their hometown.

All of Beauford's works are on loan from his estate, while works by Joseph are from the permanent collection of the Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture. The show opened with a reception on Friday, February 5, as a part of Knoxville’s First Friday Art Walk.

Joseph Delaney (left) and Beauford Delaney (right)
Image from "Visit Knoxville" Website

On February 15 at 7:30 PM, UTK professor Dr. Mary Campbell, professor emeritus Dr. Fred Moffatt, and professor of painting Jered Sprecher will come together for a panel discussion on the lives and art of the Delaney brothers. Register for the event HERE.

In anticipation of this scholarly exchange, Campbell said, “As the first exhibition to focus exclusively on the work of Beauford and Joseph Delaney, this show provides an invaluable opportunity to examine the connections and dissimilarities between the brothers’ art.” 

The Delaney Brothers: Lives in Art will run through Saturday, February 27.

UT Downtown Gallery
106 S. Gay Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
Telephone: (865) 673-0802
Hours: Wednesday through Friday - 11 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 3 PM

This spring, the Asheville Art Museum (AAM) will welcome Beauford Delaney’s Metamorphosis into Freedom.  

This exhibition originated at the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) and will be on display in Asheville, North Carolina from April 2 through June 21, 2021.  It further explores the relationship between Beauford and James Baldwin that KMA's 2020 exhibition, Through the Unusual Door, exquisitely probed.

Portrait of James Baldwin
(1944) Pastel on paper
Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The following description of the show comes from the February 2, 2021 article published by ArtFixDaily:

"Metamorphosis into Freedom includes more than 40 works by the painter that depict Baldwin, were inspired by or dedicated to Baldwin, illustrate key turning points in Delaney’s development as described in Baldwin’s writings, or document key places and events where their ongoing dialogue unfolded. The exhibition focuses special attention to a chapter in Delaney’s studio practice in which he intensified experiments with abstraction after moving to the Paris suburb of Clamart in late 1955." 

AAM has scheduled two events in conjunction with the exhibition: a discussion of the Through the Unusual Door catalog with UTK professor Dr. Mary Campbell, and a discussion with Stephen Wicks, KMA’s Barbara W. & Bernard E. Bernstein Curator and organizing curator of Metamorphosis into Freedom.  Both will be held in April 2021.  For more information, click HERE.

Asheville Art Museum
2 South Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801
Telephone: (828) 253-3227
Hours: Open daily 11 AM –6 PM; late-night Thursdays until 9 PM; closed Tuesdays.
Overall capacity is limited, and timed admission tickets are required to ensure safe attendance.
Online ticketing is strongly encouraged; limited walk-in tickets may be available.

Beauford in the Johnson Collection

Housed at the TJC Gallery in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Johnson Collection consists of "1,200 objects with provenances that span the centuries and chronicle the cultural evolution of the American South." The gallery is currently hosting an exhibition called Excellence & Emancipation: African American Artists and the Harmon Foundation, in which two exquisite Beauford Delaney abstracts are hung.

I asked the gallery for an interview about the exhibition and Communications Specialist Anna Chandler graciously responded. Here's what she had to say:

Les Amis: How did TJC come to the decision to mount the Excellence & Emancipation exhibition?

TJC: The Johnson Collection exists to tell the story of Southern art, and we are always interested in following––and sharing––the unique threads that connect the artists in our collection. 

The Harmon Foundation, which recognized excellence in eight fields of endeavor and became best known for its celebration of African American visual artists, profoundly impacted the careers of many artists represented in the Johnson Collection; its history offers a unique framework for curating an exhibition. Excellence & Emancipation allows us to showcase an array of artistic styles and techniques while also providing a rich historical context for our visiting public.

Les Amis: Are all the works shown in this exhibition part of the Johnson Collection?

TJC: Yes, all exhibitions at TJC Gallery, the Johnson Collection’s exhibition space in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, are curated entirely from the collection’s holdings.

Les Amis: Is the exhibition accessible virtually or only through in-person visits?

TJC: Guests can visit the exhibition in-person, and all of the works in Excellence & Emancipation, as well as biographies of each artist on view, are available at thejohnsoncollection.org. 

TJC’s social media accounts (@thejohnsoncollection on Instagram, facebook.com/thejohnsoncollection on Facebook, and @johnsoncollect1 on Twitter) offer a closer look at the exhibition while it is on view.

Les Amis: Three Beauford Delaney works are part of the collection. How / why did you select Abstraction No. 9 and Untitled to be part of this exhibition?

TJC: Abstraction No. 9 and Untitled are strong examples of Delaney’s fully abstracted works, which are among his most celebrated. Additionally, Abstraction No. 9 demonstrates Delaney’s use of his signature color, yellow, which he called “the color of his sacred light.”

Abstraction No. 9
(circa 1963) Oil on canvas
51 1/4 x 38 1/8 inches
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of the Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Les Amis: Is Untitled signed? Dated?

TJC: It is signed in the upper right in pencil; it is not dated.

Untitled
Oil on canvas
51 x 38 inches
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of the Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Les Amis: Do you have / can you share the text of the biographies published about Beauford in the 1933 and 1935 Harmon Foundation catalogs?

A PDF of the 1933 catalog is available online. Delaney’s biography in that text is as follows:

Beauford DeLaney, New York - Born 1905 in Tennessee; educated in public schools, and studied art at Massachusetts Normal Art, South Boston School of Art, and Copley Society. Works as telephone operator at Whitney Museum. Exhibited at Whitney Galleries in 1930; 135th Street Branch of N. Y. Public Library, 1930; 42nd Street Branch of N. Y. Public Library. 1932; Cooperative Art Market and Roxy Theatre, 1933. Work shown in Harmon Exhibit of 1933.*

Les Amis: Where/how did you acquire your Beauford Delaney works (private acquisitions, auction…)?

TJC: All three of our Beauford Delaney works were acquired directly from the artist’s estate.

Les Amis: Have you ever loaned any of Beauford’s works for exhibition?

TJC: TJC’s Beauford Delaney pieces have not been a part of any recent exhibitions.

TJC Gallery
154 West Main Street
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29306
Telephone: (864) 594-5834
Website: https://thejohnsoncollection.org/

*Though several images of works shown in the 1933 exhibition are provided in the catalog, Beauford's sole submission - a pastel called Minstrel - is not among them.

Exuberance is Beauty

One of Beauford's favorite writers was William Blake.

I find the following quote by Blake to be a perfect description for many of Beauford's abstract expressionist works:

"Exuberance is beauty."

Below are images of a few paintings and works on paper that I find to be exuberant and beautiful!

Composition 16
(1954-1956) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Composition, 1962
(1962) Mixed media on paper
Signed, dated, and dedicated at bottom right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Composition, 1964
(1964) Gouache
Signed and dated at bottom right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
(1957) Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
(1964) Oil on canvas
Collection of Elliot & Kimberly Perry
Image by Ashley Phifer
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The Delaney Brothers: Lives in Art

During Black History Month, the University of Tennessee Downtown Gallery will show works by Beauford and his brother, Joseph, in an exhibition entitled The Delaney Brothers: Lives In Art.  It is being mounted just over twenty years after what was to have been a joint October-November 1970 exhibition opened at the McClung Gallery on UTK's campus. 

 Promotional image from UT Downtown Gallery Website

Due to Beauford's increasing mental instability, he was unable to fulfill his commitment to send paintings to Knoxville, and the show became a solo exhibition for Joseph. 

Beauford's biographer, David Leeming, and Joseph's biographer, Frederick Moffatt, devote 2-3 pages to this event in their respective publications. 

Leeming describes the prospect of creating and shipping the artwork and making the voyage to Knoxville to attend the exhibition as overwhelming for Beauford. He quotes from a letter sent to Joseph in which Beauford praises Joseph's work and explains why he was unable to contribute to the show: 

"My health is good considering all things but I must be careful and many things I would like to do must wait until my condition is more composed." 

Moffatt also quotes passages from the letter, focusing more on the congratulatory nature of the missive: 

"Your time has arrived as it should be, you have not only lifted the Delaneys but also you [have given] to Paris something for your brother Beauford." 

From Leeming, we learn that Joseph sent Beauford photos of the exhibition. 

From Moffatt, we learn that the show was Joseph's first major retrospective and that it consisted of thirty-three paintings and eight drawings.  

Delaney Brothers: Lives in Art will open on Friday, February 5 with a reception hosted by the university from 5 PM to 8 PM. It will be open for viewing on Wednesdays through Fridays from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM, and on Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM through February 27, 2021. 

There is no cost to attend - entry is free. 

UT Downtown Gallery
106 S. Gay Street
Knoxville TN 37902
Contact: Mike Berry
Email:
Telephone: 865-673-0802

Beauford's Portrait of a Nude Woman

According to biographer David Leeming, Beauford "revealed himself publicly as a modernist" via a monographic exhibition at the Vendome art gallery in midtown Manhattan in January-February 1941. He presented "new cityscapes" and "trademark" portraits, including a pastel of his mother, Delia. 

 But one portrait in the show was distinctly not "trademark." It was a nude painting of a young white dancer named Jessie. 

Leeming goes on to say that Beauford rarely painted nudes and that when he took classes at the Art Students' League, he was "relieved to discover the unwritten rule that black painters not attend life classes when the female models were white." He identifies Jessie as the girlfriend of James Baldwin's friend, Emile Capouya, and he says Jessie insisted that Beauford paint her. 

Though I have never seen an image of this painting, I believe it is represented in the photograph below.

Beauford in his Greene Street studio, New York City, 1944
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator 

Two paintings are seen, side by side, "behind" the ceiling light in this photo. 

The one on the right is Untitled (The Artist and Woman Seated), dated 1940. It was offered for auction by Swann Auction Galleries in October 2018, but was not sold. The auction catalog speculated that the young woman seated next to Beauford could be Jessie.

Untitled (The Artist and Woman Seated) 1940)
Oil on linen canvas
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The painting on the left appears to be a reclining nude. It may well be the portrait of Jessie.

Beauford in his Greene Street studio, New York City, 1944 - detail
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

 

Beauford's portrait of James Baldwin, Dark Rapture, is seen on the wall above Beauford's head in the photo. 

 

 

Beauford in his Greene Street studio, New York City, 1944 - detail (Dark Rapture)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

 

It was also shown at the Vendome exhibition.

 

Dark Rapture
(1941) Oil on masonite
Collection of halley k harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The whereabouts of the nude portrait of Jessie are unknown to me.

Happy New Year from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney!

I find the untitled painting shown below to be a wonderful metaphor for 2021. 

 

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

To me, it represents a juxtaposition of turbulence and hope ... 

Turbulence through the powerful energy of the swirls that move through the center of the painting, stirring up the atmosphere around it ... 

 and hope because of the colors Beauford chose to represent this energy and atmosphere. 

Instead of using somber hues, he chose white for the energy surge and sky blue for its backdrop. 

Splotches of yellow, peach, rose, and green admixed with the energy channel and surrounding it give me a light feeling and remind me of spring - the season of rebirth and infinite possibility. 

May 2021 be a year filled with powerful, positive energy for you and yours!

50 Years Ago - Beauford's Abstracts

Last week, I brought you a post about the difficulties Beauford had during the year 1970 and showed images of several portraits he produced that year.

50 Years Ago - Beauford's Portraits

Despite his troubles, Beauford had several successes in 1970. Among them was his participation in a group exhibition called Afro-American Artists Abroad, which was shown at the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Dorchester, Massachusetts and the University of Texas Art Museum in Austin, TX. 

The images of several 1970 abstract works that I'm presenting today call to mind a statement written about Beauford's œuvre for the exhibition catalog by art professor James Lewis: 

"Radiates the joy of an artist with one concern, the challenging joy of painting."

Untitled
(1970) Gouache
© Artistes sans Frontières/Douglas Petrovic, 2004
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
(1970) Gouache
© Artistes sans Frontières/Douglas Petrovic, 2004
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
(1970) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo courtesy of Robert Tricoire

Untitled
(1970) Mixed media on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
(1970) Mixed media on cardboard
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,

Untitled
(circa 1970) Oil on canvas
Collection Walker Art Center
Gift of the Kunin Family, 2014
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled, 1970Oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm.
© Christie's Images, 2013© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

50 Years Ago - Beauford's Portraits

1970 was a difficult year for Beauford. 

Elsa Honig Fine of the University of Tennessee invited him and his brother Joseph to do a joint exhibition of works at the McClung Museum Gallery there, but the prospect was too much for his fragile physical and mental health. 

Though he agreed to participate in the show during his Christmas holiday visit to Knoxville in 1969, he avoided communicating about the event for months - ignoring requests for shipping and travel dates as well as information about the works he would display. 

It was only during the summer of 1970 that he finally admitted he would not contribute to the exhibition, which became a solo show for Joseph Delaney. 

And yet, Beauford produced numerous paintings and works on paper in 1970 - including a striking self-portrait. Here are images of several of them. 

Portrait of a Young Musician  (1970) Acrylic on canvas © Estate of Beauford Delaney by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator Studio Museum in Harlem; Gift of Ms. Ogust Delaney Stewart, Knoxville, TN 2004.2.27 Photo: Marc Bernier

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

Portrait de la Voisine
(1970) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

Self-portrait

(1970) Gouache on paper

Collection of David Leeming

© Estate of Beauford Delaney by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator 

Next week: "50 Years Ago - Beauford's Abstracts"

Blog Posting Categories

Entries are listed in chronological order.

Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
(fundraising, events, press)

• Welcome!
• How I became involved in the affair regarding Beauford's gravesite
• Our association - Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
• Journal Officiel Announcement!
• Beauford's Tombstone: Call for Donations
• Presenting Beauford
• 26 March 2010
• U.S. Ambassador Rivkin Gives Us His Support!
• Thanks to Our Donors and New Appeal for Contributions
• A Colorful and Generous Donation!
• ArtNet Auction of Herb Gentry Serigraph is Live!
• Beauford at the George R. N'Namdi Gallery in Chicago
• Fundraising Success!
• Beauford's Tombstone is in Place!
• Herb Gentry Serigraph Once Again Up for Auction
• Dorothy's Gallery Supports Beauford
• Celebrating Beauford at the Hotel Talleyrand
• Celebrating Beauford! - The Gravesite Ceremony
• Celebrating Beauford! - The Reception 
• Les Amis de Beauford Delaney's First Anniversary!
• September - A Milestone Month for Beauford and Les Amis
• Celebrating Beauford - 1st Anniversary!
• Happy Thanksgiving!
• Tending Beauford's Gravesite
• A Plaque for Beauford 
• A Plaque for Beauford: Update 
• 2013 New Year's Greetings from Les Amis
• Les Amis Bids Adieu to Richard A. Long 
• Beauford to Be Added to Thiais Cemetery Celebrity List
• Les Amis Looks Back
  
• A New Year for Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
  
• A Plaque for Beauford: Latest News
  
• Les Amis Pays Homage to Darthea Speyer
• Les Amis Breaks for the Summer
  
• A Second Plaque for Beauford
  
• Live from Paris! The Art and Life of Beauford Delaney
  
• A Second Plaque for Beauford - Update
  
• Celebrating Five Years of the Les Amis Blog!
• Beauford Delaney Plaque Installed at Hôtel Le M
• Les Amis de Beauford Delaney - How It All Started
• Beauford Delaney Plaque Installed at Hôtel Odessa
• Beauford at Reid Hall - An Update
• University of Arizona to Augment "Beauford Delaney and Paris" Exhibition
• Christmas Wishes from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
• 32 days until the opening!
• Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color - Event Schedule
• You're Invited! Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color
• Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: Before the Opening
• Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Vernissage (Opening Reception)
• Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Round Table
• Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: A Successful Exhibition!
• Presenting Beauford at the Links National Assembly
• Presenting Beauford at Paris Lit Up
• Beauford's Story Featured in the New York Times
• From Paris to Knoxville - Part 1
• From Paris to Knoxville - Part 2
• From Paris to Knoxville - Part 3
• From Paris to Knoxville - Part 4
• From Paris to Knoxville - Part 5
• Gathering Light: Works by Beauford Delaney from the Knoxville Museum of Art Collection
• Beauford Unites Elementary School Children in Paris and Knoxville
• Beauford and the Wells International Foundation (WIF)...
• French Elementary School Kids Create Beauford-inspired Art
• Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville - A Successful Debut
• Beauford Viewed through the Eyes of Children
• Teaching Creativity and Science through Beauford's Abstract Expressionist Art - Part 1
• Teaching Creativity and Science through Beauford's Abstract Expressionist Art - Part 2
• French "Classes Duo" Student in Search of Beauford in NYC
• Beauford and the James Baldwin Writers' Colony in Paris
• Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville - Knoxville students' excursion to Paris a HUGE success! - Part 1
• Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville - Knoxville students' excursion to Paris a HUGE success! - Part 2
• Cannes Film Festival - Possible Venue for Beauford Documentary Screening
• Student-Parent Reception for Classes Duo Art Exhibition at KMA
• Cannes Film Festival Screening a Success
• Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville Autumn 2019 Semester Is Underway
• Amazing Grace Is Yellow - A Great Success!
• 10-year Anniversary of Les Amis de Beauford Delaney Blog
• Keeping Beauford's Tombstone Beautiful
• Knoxville Links Are Keeping Beauford's Tombstone Beautiful
• Nashville Public Radio Publishes Story about Beauford
• Writing from Art: A Creative Workshop
• Beauford's Art Inspires Creative Writing
• Beauford Inspires Founding of Interdisciplinary Humanities Club in Dallas, TX

Tributes to Beauford

• Beauford's Birthday Tribute
• A Tribute to Beauford...in Gratitude
• Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
• Cid Corman's Poetic Tribute to Beauford
• Burt and Pat Reinfrank Remember Beauford
• Richard A. Long and Beauford Delaney
• Remembrances of Beauford Delaney
• Herb Gentry on Beauford
• Richard Hadlock Remembers Beauford
• Roy Freeman Remembers Beauford
• Beauford: The Georgia O'Keeffe Portraits
• Henry Miller's 1972 Tribute to Beauford
• Ed Clark Remembers Beauford
• Colin Gravois Remembers Beauford  
• Happy Birthday, Beauford!
• Beauford in Color 
• Special Video: Richard A. Long Talks about Beauford - Part 1
• Special Video: Richard A. Long Talks about Beauford - Part 2  
• Beauford and Al Hirschfeld
• A Film about Beauford
• Beauford Delaney: The Artisan as Witness
• Why Artisan?  Thinking about Beauford
• Kelli Agodon's Tribute to Beauford
• Larry Calcagno's Portrait of Beauford
• Joseph Delaney Remembers Beauford
• Bob Shigeo Remembers Beauford
• Romare Bearden and Harry Henderson on Beauford
• Beauford at Cannes
• Radio France Interview:  Philippe Briet and Darthea Speyer Talk about Beauford
• 33rd Anniversary of Beauford's Passing  
• re-Searching Beauford: An Uneven Introduction
• Invitation to a Gathering of Souls
• Race, Society, and Canvas: The Amazing Grace of Beauford Delaney  
• I Saw Beauford Delaney Today - Part 1 
• I Saw Beauford Delaney Today - Part 2
• Errol Sawyer's Photographic Portrait of Beauford  
• Beauford in Blue: Story of a Portrait 
• Art and Desire 
• A Birthday Card for Beauford 
• Beauford, What is the Price of a Ticket?
• Sedat Pakay's Tribute to Beauford
• Beauford: His Art and His Light
• re-Searching Beauford: A Penultimate Reflection for a Generation Now
• re-Searching Beauford: A Final Reflection
• Homage to Beauford: Douglas Petrovic
• James LeGros Remembers Beauford - Part 1
• Rachel Cohen's Tribute to Beauford
• James LeGros Remembers Beauford - Part 2
• Beauford and the Brouards - Part 1
• Beauford and the Brouards - Part 2
• Beauford Delaney Crossword Puzzle
• Beauford the Mentor
• Nell Painter on Beauford
• De Hirsh Margules' Portrait of Beauford
• Adeline Goldminc-Tronzo Remembers Beauford
• Jean-Loup Msika's Friendship with Beauford - Part 1
• Jean-Loup Msika's Friendship with Beauford - Part 2
• Amaranth Ehrenhalt Remembers Beauford
• The Beautiful Haunt of Beauford Delaney
• Historical Marker Honors Beauford and Joseph Delaney in Knoxville
• 40th Anniversary of Beauford's Transition
• Amazing Grace is Yellow - A Play
• Ten Things I've Learned from Beauford
• Delia Delaney is Adopted!
• Amazing Grace is Yellow - The Cast
• Diana Isabel Jervis-Read Remembers Beauford
• So Splendid a Journey at the English-language Library in Angers
• Beauford's Ever Expanding Legacy
• What's on in Knoxville - Through the Unusual Door and More
• An Eruption of Creativity – An Interview with Gary Elgin
• Knoxville Continues to Celebrate Beauford - What's Coming Next
• The Art of Delaney: Redeeming, Reconciling & Healing
• Black and White and ShadowLight: Beauford's Life in History and Song
• Beauford Delaney Opera a Tremendous Success!
• The Making of ShadowLight
• In a Speculative Light - UTK Symposium on Beauford and Baldwin
• Vincent Livelli Remembers Beauford
• Beauford in Myth of a Colorblind France
• Sylvia Peters Talks about Beauford
• Lucy Blue Remembers Beauford
• Lucy Blue Shares Clarence Hagins' Memories of Beauford
• Cat Stevens' Yellow Delaney
• Photo Portraits of Beauford
• Beauford Featured in Scalawag Magazine
• One Good Beauford Story Inspired Another
• Beauford in The Art of the Affair
• Maestro Beauford Delaney - A Tribute by Joel Crooms
• Fraternal Light: On Painting While Black - Part 1
• Fraternal Light: On Painting While Black - Part 2
• A Catapult for Beauford's Legacy
• Video Explorations of Beauford's Life and Art
• Mike Berry and Beauford - Part 1
• Mike Berry and Beauford - Part 2
• Mike Berry and Beauford - Part 3
• New Edition of Amazing Grace to Be Released
• New Edition of Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
• Jazz Pianist Donald Brown Creates Music Inspired by Beauford

Beauford's Works (for sale / display / commentary)

• Beauford at Galerie Darthea Speyer
• Beauford and the Briet Brothers
• Beauford and the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
• Beauford's Makonde Figure at the Armory Show Modern in NYC
• "You've Got the Eye"
• Beauford at the Art Institute of Chicago
• Beauford's Works at Christie's Paris
• Beauford's Works at Christie's Paris -- The Auction
• Anatomy of an Art Exposition - Part 1
• Anatomy of an Art Exposition - Part 2
• Beauford and the Reinfrank Portrait
• "Soul Brother" or the Haynes Restaurant Portrait
• Beauford and the Influence of Claude Monet
• Brief Musings on Beauford and James Baldwin 
• Beauford Describes Beauford: Beauford's Tribute to Henry Miller
• Beauford at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
• Beauford at the Art Basel Miami Festival
• Beauford's Portraits
• Beauford's Works Shown Again in Paris?
• Richard Gibson Sits for a Portrait by Beauford
• Beauford Painting Auctioned at Doyle New York
• Beauford's Portraits of James Baldwin - Part 1
• Beauford's Portraits of James Baldwin - Part 2
• A Redhead in His Bed
• It's Not What You Think!
• Beauford and Larry Calcagno
• Beauford and Friends on Greene Street
• Beauford at the Centre Pompidou
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts
• Beauford's Portrait of Colin Gravois
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Museums in the Tri-state Area
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: New England
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Swann Galleries
• Beauford at the Smithsonian Institution - Part 1
• Beauford at the Smithsonian Institution - Part 2
• Beauford and the Catalog of American Portraits
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Midwestern US
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Whitney Museum of American Art
• Why Are So Many of Beauford's Paintings in Museum Storage?
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Beauford's Trustees
• Beauford and the Influence of Paul Cézanne 
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: High Museum of Art
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Swann Galleries 2012 African-American Fine Art Sale  
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Bill Hodges Gallery 
• Two Beauford Delaneys sold at February 2012 African-American Fine Art Auction
• Beauford at the Roko Gallery for Negro History Week 1949 
• Beauford at the Whitney Studio Galleries - 1930 
• Beauford at the Armory Show 2012
• 33rd Anniversary of Beauford's Passing
• Beauford's "Fontana" 
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Levis Fine Art Gallery
• Beauford at the Studio Museum in Harlem 
• Beauford's Art - The Clamart Years  
• Beauford's Art - Monotypes 
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Hampton University Museum 
• Christie's Paris Auctions Two Delaney Paintings 
• Beauford at the Fall 2012 African-American Fine Art Auction 
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries - Part 1
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries - Part 2
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Ink Miami Art Fair - Aaron Galleries
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries - Part 3  
• A Portrait for Sale
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
• Beauford Returns to the Whitney Museum of American Art
• Beauford's Self-portrait at Swann Galleries African-American Fine Art Auction
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries - Part 4
• Beauford's Portrait of Charlie Parker
• An Unexpected Discovery and a Primer for Art Collection
• Beauford at the MRG Chelsea Inaugural Expo
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Knoxville Museum of Art
• Beauford at the Narratives of African American Art and Identity Exposition
• BEAUFORD DELANEY: INTERNAL LIGHT
• Beauford's New York Expositions
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Galerie Intemporel
• Jim Levis on Beauford Delaney: Internal Light
• Ba'lls to the Wa'll, Y'all - Part 1
• Ba'lls to the Wa'll, Y'all - Part 2
• Conversations with Beauford - Part 1
• Conversations with Beauford - Part 2
• Danny Simmons on Beauford Delaney
• The Many Sidedness of Beauford Delaney's Art 
• The Many Sidedness of Beauford Delaney's Art: Commentary
• Beauford in Provence
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Dolan/Maxwell Gallery
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Christie's Paris October 2013 Rendez-vous / Intérieurs Contemporains Auction
  
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Swann Auction Galleries African American Fine Art Auction - October 2013
• Beauford's "Embrun" Sells At Swann Auction Galleries African American Fine Art Auction
  
• Christie's Paris Sells Beauford Delaney Abstract at Auction
  
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
• Man in African Dress
• Beauford's Agonie Solaire as Book Cover
• Beauford on View at the Centre Pompidou
• Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 1
• Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 2
• Bob Tomlinson on Beauford's Painting at the Centre Pompidou
• Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 3
• BEAUFORD DELANEY: One Voice (1954 - 1974)
• Delaney Painting on Display at Point of View Exposition in Detroit
• Three Exquisite Delaneys Hang at the MRG Exposition Beyond the Spectrum
• Higher Ground: Artist Spotlight on Beauford at the Knoxville Museum of Art
• Beauford at the New York Live Arts Festival
• Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: October 2013 and February 2014
• Beauford's Abstraction Sells at Skinner Auction in Boston
• Astonishing Sale of Beauford Delaney Abstract
• Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: June 2014 Sale
• Sold!!! Two Delaneys at Swann Auction Galleries June 2014 African American Fine Art Auction
• Beauford and Pablo Picasso
• Richard A. Long collection of Delaney Paintings at Swann Auction Galleries
• Clarke Auction Gallery - Past Sales of Beauford's Art
• Swann Auction Galleries October 9 African American Fine Art Auction - Results for Beauford's Works
• "Some Negro Artists" - A 1964 Group Exhibition
• Another Delaney Abstract Sells at Auction
• Beauford at Art Basel Miami Beach - December 4-7, 2014
• A Christmas Self-portrait
• Beauford on View at the Centre Pompidou - Last Days
• Jazz Concert in the Old New York Synagogue
• Delaney - Downing - Lee: Group Show at the American Cultural Center in Paris - 1961
• Beauford at Reid Hall
• Knoxville Museum of Art Acquires Beauford Delaney Paintings
• Brooklyn Museum Acquires a Beauford Delaney Painting
• More on the Knoxville Museum of Art Acquisition of Beauford Delaney Paintings
• Walker Art Center in Minneapolis Acquires a Beauford Delaney Painting
• Ascension: A Century of African-American Art at Swann Auction Galleries
• Two Beauford Delaney Paintings Sold at Ascension: A Century of African-American Art at Swann Auction Galleries
• New Beauford Delaney Watercolors at Knoxville Museum of Art
• Beauford in Red
• Live Ideas: Baldwin and Delaney
• Beauford's Solo Show at the Paul Facchetti Gallery
• Flier for Beauford's First One-man Show
• Self-portrait (1962) at the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum
• Beauford's Self-portrait on the Cover of JAMA
• Beauford on Google
• Case Antiques Opens Bidding on Three Beauford Delaney Works
• Beauford Delaney Works Sold at Case Antiques Auctions
• Beauford's Jazz Club Featured in "Night Vision" Exhibition at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art
• Beauford in Philadelphia: The 1947 Pyramid Club Show
• More Beauford Delaney Portraits
• Beauford at the Tate Liverpool
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Bonhams
• Charlie Parker Acquired by Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery
• Beauford's Pablo Picasso Portrait for Auction
• Beauford's Art: Portraits of Donors to the Reid Hall Exhibition
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
• Beauford's Marian Anderson Portrait in "The Art of Music
• Beauford's Art: Reminiscence of the Painting "Portrait of a Young Man (Burton D. Reinfrank)"
• Where to Find Beauford's Art: Art Basel Miami Beach and Treadway Toomey Auctions
• Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: December 2015 Sale
• Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: December 2015 Sale Results
• Beauford and Howard Swanson
• Beauford: News from the Net
• Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: Before the Opening
• Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Vernissage (Opening Reception)
• Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color: The Catalog
• Beauford on Both Sides of the Atlantic
• Beauford's "The Burning Bush" in "Modern Heroics" Exhibition at the Newark Museum
• Beauford at MRG - It's Not Your Nature
• Knoxville Museum of Art acquires two Beauford Delaney portraits
• A New Sight: Light & the Color Yellow in Beauford Delaney’s Portraits
• Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: October 2016 Sale
• SOLD: Untitled (Portrait of a Young Man)
• Beauford's Rehearsal
• Beauford at the Studio Museum in Harlem's Circa 1970 Exhibition
• Beauford at the Musée du quai Branly's Exhibition The Color Line
• Beauford at the American Cultural Center's Paris Celebration of Henry Miller
• Case Antiques Auction of Beauford Delaney Abstract
• Beauford's Portrait of Irene Rose
• Beauford's Acrylic Still Life on Board Sold at Case Antiques Auction
• Central Park, 1950
• Beauford's Untitled (Green) at Quinn's Auction Galleries
• More Beauford Delaney Works at Auction
• Beauford's Portrait of Larry Calcagno to Be Auctioned
• Beauford's Portrait of Larry Calcagno Sold at Auction
• Beauford's Reflections on Abstraction in Art
• Gathering Light: Knoxville Museum of Art's Beauford Delaney Exhibition Now Open
• Still Lifes by Beauford
• Untitled, 1959: Finding the Light
• Sunlight Drifters
• Greece, 1967: Into the Blue
• Beauford at the Tate Modern
• Figurative Works at Swann Auction Galleries' October 2017 Sale
• Abstract Works at Swann Auction Galleries' October 2017 Sale
• What Sold at Swann Auction Galleries' October 2017 African American Fine Art Sale
• Paris, France - A Work on Paper
• Beauford's Seated Portrait Paintings
• Beauford at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields)
• Beauford's Portrait of Marian Anderson at 2018 Winter Antiques Show
• Beauford and Charlie Parker
• Case Antiques Offers Beauford Abstracts and Memorabilia for Auction
• A Toast to the Arts
• Beauford Delaney Works Sold at Case Antiques Historic Winter Auction
• Knoxville Museum of Art Is Now Largest Museum Repository for Beauford Delaney Works
• Beauford Delaney Abstract Finds Permanent Home at the Mint Museum
• Beauford at the Anita Shapolsky Gallery
• Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries' 5 April 2018 African American Fine Art Sale
• Sold for $557,000! - Beauford's Village Street Scene
• Beauford at 1964 "Cloudburst" Show in Paris
• Yellow is for Summer
• Beauford's Portrait of a Young Man at Case Antiques Auction
• Portrait of a Young Man Sold at Case Antiques Auction
• Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: October 2018 Sale
• Beauford at the 2018 Carnegie International
• Untitled Yellow Abstract for Auction at Phillips
• Phillips Sells Second Delaney Abstract
• Beauford's Yellow Abstracts are HOT
• Ahmed Bioud's Beauford Delaney Collection at Auction
• Auction Results Exceed Expectations: Ahmed Bioud's Beauford Delaney Collection
• Knoxville Honors Beauford with Art Wraps
• Beauford and Bob Thompson at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
• Beauford in God Made My Face: A Collective Portrait of James Baldwin
• Beauford in Ink
• Beauford at Christie's New York
• Christie's Sells Beauford's Abstraction No. 4
• Beauford in the "Four Sunday Painters" Exhibition at the Whitney Studio Galleries
• Another Beauford Abstract Sells at Auction
• Beauford's Post-war Art
• Beauford and "The Rhythm of New York"
• Two Beauford Delaney Works Sold at Separate Auctions in Paris
• Beauford and the Flapper Girl
• Beauford Delaney and the Mysterious Odalisque
• Beauford Delaney's Man in African Dress
• Beauford Delaney's Balzac by Rodin
• Beauford Delaney's Self-portrait, 1944
• Beauford Delaney: A Study in Portraiture
• Three Beauford Delaney Works at Swann Auction Galleries' Fall African American Fine Art Sale
• Swann Auction Galleries African American Fine Art Sale - Results Are in
• Beauford at the 1967 "L'Age du Jazz" Exhibition
• All That Jazz
• Two Beauford Delaney Abstracts Up for Auction at ADER Nordmann
• 1964 Abstract Sold at ADER Nordmann Auction
• January 1957 - Battling the Voices of Despair
• Beauford - Exhibitions Online
• Beauford (Not) on View
• Rachel's Musings: Three Articles about Beauford
• Beauford's Portrait of Larry Calcagno
• Beauford on Pinterest
• Larry Calcagno and Dante Pavone - A Curious Resemblance
• The Greene Street Paintings
• Beauford and the Color "Orange"
• Beauford in 79 Minutes
• Four Beauford Delaney Works on Paper to Be Auctioned
• Dive In with the Stanley - Beauford's Untitled (Paris) Examined
• Sales and More Sales
• Beauford at Artcurial Auction - Results
• Beauford at Case Antiques Auction - Result
• In a Mood
• A Study in Portraiture - One Year Later
• Museums Use Beauford's Art to Reach Out to Children
• I Will Not Be Moved _ A Look at Beauford's Rosa Parks Series
• Beauford and Bernard Hassell
• Beauford at MoMA
• Beauford and the Portrait of Stanislas Rodanski
• Autumn Colors
• Beauford at Phillips Auction House
• To Be Sold
• Look. Look Again: - A Remarkable Online Exhibition
• Beauford Delaney: Transcending Race and Time
• Sold!
• 50 Years Ago - Beauford's Portraits
• 50 Years Ago - Beauford's Abstracts
• Happy New Year from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney!
• Beauford's Portrait of a Nude Woman
• The Delaney Brothers: Lives in Art
• Exuberance is Beauty
• Beauford in the Johnson Collection
• Beauford Showing in Two Southern "Villes"
• Lives in Art: Discussions on Beauford and Joseph Delaney
• Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 1
• Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 2
• Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 3
• Les Amis Celebrates Women's History Month - Part 4
• Springtime
• Beauford in the News
• Two Beauford Delaney Works at Swann Auction Galleries' African Art Sale
• Results of April 2021 Swann Auction Galleries African American Art Sale
• PIASA to Auction Magnificent Portrait by Beauford
• Beauford on Google Arts and Culture
• Judd Tully on Beauford's Studio Museum Retrospective
• Beauford Delaney and Free Lunch - Part 1
• Beauford Delaney and Free Lunch - Part 2
• Musing with a Master Abstract Expressionist - Part 1
• Musing with a Master Abstract Expressionist - Part 2
• Case Antiques to Auction Beauford Delaney Painting on July 24
• Beauford's African Motif
• Case Antiques Sells Beauford Delaney Abstract for $348,000
• Brandeis University's Greene Street Painting on Display at Rose Art Museum
• Beauford on Art Sphere Inc.
• Be Your Wonderful Self: The Portraits of Beauford Delaney
• Watercolors by Beauford
• Colin Gravois' Portrait
• Bon Naissance Howard
• Frieze Masters 2021 - 1st Solo Beauford Delaney Exhibition in the UK
• Autumn Colors II
• X-Ray of Beauford's 1944 Self-portrait at the Art Institute of Chicago
• Beauford's "The Burning Bush" in "The Dirty South" Exhibition
• Rediscovering Style through Beauford's Work
• Stephen Wicks and Rachel Cohen Discuss Baldwin Portrait - Part 1
• Stephen Wicks and Rachel Cohen Discuss Baldwin Portrait - Part 2
• France Owns Two Beauford Delaney Abstract Paintings
• New Year Greetings from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
• Sold! Two Paintings from the Resonance of Form Exhibition in Paris
• 1964 Beauford Delaney Abstract for Auction
• "Red" Is for Passion
• Swann Auction Galleries - Fifteen Years of Beauford Delaney Sales
• Making Peace with Aloneness
• Beauford at Auction
• Swann Auction Galleries Sells Two Beauford Delaney Works at March 31, 2022 Auction
• Beauford and W. C. Handy
• Beauford and the Sage
• West Coast Buzz - LACMA Acquires Beauford Delaney Portrait
• Beauford Delaney Abstract Auctioned at Christie's
• Another Springtime
• Beauford Delaney Works Described on Video
• Beauford on Obelisk Art History
• Sold and To Be Sold
• Sale of Beauford Delaney Portraits to Support Charitable Causes
• Sold and To Be Sold 2
• Beauford Delaney News
• Istanbul Calling - A Recordbreaking Sale
• Beauford's Portrait of Mary Painter
• Beauford at Art Basel Miami 2022
• Grievances from a Soul of Sorrow
• In Search of Purple
• Pastel Portrait of a Man to Be Auctioned by Case Antiques
• A Unique Take on Still Lifes
• Dolan/Maxwell Shows Beauford Abstract at The Winter Show
• Beauford's Pastel Portrait of a Man Sold by Case Antiques
• A Close(r) Look at Can Fire in the Park
• Metamorphosis into Freedom at the Hunter Museum of American Art
• Les Amis Reminisces about Spring Postings
• Metamorphosis into Freedom at the Institut Giacometti
• Beauford and Tchaikovsky
• Swann Auction Galleries Auctions Brilliant Blue Beauford Delaney Gouache
• Beauford and John-Franklin Koenig
• 50th Anniversary of Beauford's Solo Show at Galerie Darthea Speyer
• Phillips and Christie's to Auction Two Beauford Delaney Abstracts
• Sale, Sale, Sale
• Brisk Sales in Early June
• Another June Sale
• Brent Hayes Edwards Pairs Beauford's Composition 16 with Jazz Music
• Sotheby's Sells Three Beauford Delaney Works
• Yet Another June 2023 Sale
• A Look at Two Beauford Delaney 1960 Abstracts
• Taking Courage from Silence
• Beauford's Blues - Part 1
• Beauford's Blues - Part 2
• Beauford Potpourri 2
• Beauford's "Man with Medallion" Featured in L.A. Exhibition
• Upcoming Sales
• November Sales
• November Sales - La Gazette Drouot
• Black Art Auction Sells Delaney Abstract
• Beauford and Negro Music
• Where to Find Beauford's Art - Tennessee State Museum
• Ibiza Watercolors
• Rachel Cohen on Beauford
• Beauford at the Montréal Contemporary Art Museum
• Two Beauford Delaney Works for Sale Today
• Case Antiques Sold Two Beauford Delaney Works
• Living an Inner Life and Learning
• KMA Loans Beauford Delaney Works to National and International Venues
• Christie's to Auction Beauford Delaney Work on Paper
• A Chance Meeting Features Beauford's Art on Cover
• Beauford Potpourri 3
• Recent Auction Sales
• Bob Mair on Beauford
• Case Auctions Offers Four Beauford Delaney Works on Paper for Sale
• Case Antiques Auction Results
• The James Baldwin Centennial
• Beauford's Street Scenes
• Beauford at Black Art Auction's Fall Auction
• Drouot Sells Two Beauford Delaney Abstracts
• Where to Find Beauford's Work This Weekend
• Case Antiques to Auction Beauford Delaney Watercolor and Catalogs
• Case Auction Results for Beauford Delaney Watercolor and Catalogs
• Beauford in the Patricia Scipio-Brim Collection
• Beauford's Art on View - Current Exhibitions
• Beauford Is Front and Center at Paris Noir
• Beauford's Portrait of John Koenig Sold by Swann Auction Galleries
• Two Street Scenes
• Beauford Delaney’s Street Scene (1968): An Expanded View
• Thoughts of Spring
• French Press Captivated by Beauford's Portrait of James Baldwin
• Beauford at the Drawing Center
• Michael Rosenfeld Gallery Presents Bienvenue: African American Artists in France
• Auction House Websites Provide a Great Look at Beauford's Work
• Beauford Potpourri 4
• Last Days for Paris Noir
• All Eyes Are on Beauford at The Drawing Center
• Composition in Blue is Being Auctioned by Christie's
• Dark Rapture in Speculative Light: The Arts of Beauford Delaney and James Baldwin
• Sold and To Be Sold 3
• Resonance of Form Works on Paper

Beauford's Paris

• Christmas with Beauford
• Beauford's Eternal Home - Thiais Cemetery
• Beauford's Paris Café Life
• Beauford's Ocean Voyage to Paris 
• Beauford's Last Studio - Rue Vercingétorix
• More on Beauford's Last Studio - Rue Vercingétorix
• Fix Me Jesus: Beauford's Solace in December 1953 
• Beauford's Paris: Ile Saint-Louis 
• More on Beauford's Paris: Ile Saint-Louis
• Clamart: Beauford's Suburban Paris Home  
• Beauford's Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral and Fauré's Requiem
• Beauford and Mary Painter
• Beauford and Marian Anderson  
• Beauford and Dizzy Gillespie
• Beauford and Emery: The Delaney Brothers at Notre Dame Cathedral 
• Beauford's Paris: Gare Saint-Lazare
• Beauford's Paris: Rue des Carmes
• Beauford's Paris: Cité Falguière
• Beauford's Paris: Montparnasse Cemetery
• Beauford at the American Cultural Center
• Beauford's Paris: Saint Anne's Hospital - Part 1
• Beauford's Paris: Saint Anne's Hospital - Part 2
• Beauford's Gravesite on Thiais Cemetery "Celebrity" List
• Visiting Thiais Cemetery - Part 1
• Visiting Thiais Cemetery - Part 2
• Beauford in Vélizy
• SS Liberté - Beauford's Transport on His First Trip to Paris
• Beauford's "Citation in Context"
• Dining at Les Mille Colonnes
• Beauford's Paris: The American Center
• Beauford's Paris: Saint Anne's Hospital - Part 3
• Beauford's 1959 Thanksgiving
• Saint Anne's Hospital: An Oasis of Calm
• August 1964 - Beauford's Family Visits Paris
• September 1953 - Beauford Arrives in Paris
• Joseph Delaney in Paris
• Beauford at Notre Dame Cathedral
• Parisian Café Culture and Beauford Delaney
• Beauford at the Luxembourg Garden
• Knoxvillians Explore Beauford Delaney's Montparnasse
• Sounds of Sainte-Anne's Hospital
• Beauford's Studio - Scenes from "Meeting the Man"
• Beauford at the Galerie Prismes - 6, rue Monsieur le Prince
• Beauford at the American Hospital
• Beauford's Studio as Described by Larry Calcagno
• Early Spring at Sainte-Anne's Hospital
• La Maison de Santé in Nogent
• Summer Visit to Thiais Cemetery
• Fall Flowers at Sainte-Anne's Hospital
• Beauford and American Express
• Beauford's Paris: Rue des Anglais
• UTLibraries Comes to Paris
• Summertime at Sainte-Anne's Hospital
• Beauford and Larry Potter

Beauford's Politics

• Beauford: Black Man and Painter
• Beauford and the Civil Rights Movement

Beauford's Archives

• The Beauford Delaney Letters
• Galerie Darthea Speyer Records Go to the Smithsonian
• Beauford's Gumbo Recipe
• Beauford Delaney Letter Archived by Smithsonian
• A Boundless Love: Beauford Delaney's Letters to Larry Calcagno
• Beauford in the Knoxville News-Sentinel
• Beauford Delaney-James Baldwin Correspondence in James Baldwin Archive Sealed for 20 Years
• Case Antiques Offers Beauford Abstracts and Memorabilia for Auction
• Beauford Delaney Works Sold at Case Antiques Historic Winter Auction
• East Tennessee History Center Acquires Part of Beauford Delaney Archives
• Beauford in the Knoxville News-Sentinel
• University of Tennessee Knoxville Launches Campaign to Acquire Beauford Delaney Archive
• UTLibraries Comes to Paris

Other

• Beauford in Spain
• Beauford in Boston: Copley Square and Black Beacon Hill
• Beauford in Boston: Public Garden and Boston Common 
• "The Doom Music"
• Merry Christmas from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney! 
• Beauford Pastiche - March 2013
• Baldwin Delaney Institute for Academic Enrichment and Faith Flourishing
• Beauford Delaney and Scholarly Inquiry
• The Baldwin~Delaney Institute Moves into High Gear
• Happy Thanksgiving Day Weekend!
• The Baldwin-Delaney Legacy
• Happy Holidays from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney!
• Beauford in Istanbul
• Beauford's Favorite Writers
• Beauford and Roland Hayes
• Beauford and Baldwin in Istanbul
• Beauford and Countee Cullen
• To the Light - A Play about Beauford and James Baldwin
• Beauford Delaney Paints Marian Anderson: A Play
• Beauford and Baldwin in Saint-Paul-de-Vence
• Woman in an Abstract Field - After Beauford Delaney
• Beauford and Palmer Hayden
• Beauford in Jules B. Farber's James Baldwin - Escape from America, Exile in Provence
• Beauford's Art Inspires Knoxville Elementary School Students
• "Bringing Delaney Home" at the Knoxville Museum of Art
• Beauford in "Psychology and Art" - Part 1
• Beauford in "Psychology and Art" - Part 2
• Beauford in "Psychology and Art" - Part 3
• I Can't Go Home...
• Beauford's Reflections on Leaving New York
• What Hides Behind the Unusual Door: Metaphor or Song?
• Beauford and the Delaney Family in Jefferson City, Tennessee
• Beauford and Joseph Delaney to Be Honored in Knoxville
• East Tennessee History Center Acquires Part of Beauford Delaney Archives
• Beauford and Larry Calcagno: The Letters
• Beauford's Playlist
• Delia Delaney - Beauford's Beloved Mother
• Teaching Social Studies Using Beauford's Art
• Beauford Potpourri
• Beauford Moves to New York City
• Happy Thanksgiving from Les Amis!
• Season's Greetings from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney!
• Happy Birthday, Delia Delaney!
• A Musical Interlude
• Beauford-inspired Art Lessons
• Beauford's Thanksgiving - 1966
• James Baldwin Feted in Knoxville
• Beauford's Palette
• Silencing the Voices
• Beauford and Marcel Duchamp
• Hidden Paris: Beauford Delaney
• Beauford on the Web
• Beauford's Black Mentor
• Beauford Delaney Research Grant - Part 1
• Beauford Delaney Research Grant - Part 2
• First Beauford Delaney Research Award Recipient Announced
• The Delaney Museum at Beck - Groundbreaking Ceremony Scheduled for August 30
• Gathering Light: Evolution of a Beauford Delaney Initiative
• Groundbreaking for the Delaney Museum at Beck
• Beauford Delaney - A Musical Interlude
• Beauford and Josephine Baker
• Celebrating MLK Day
• Beauford Delaney Building to Be Constructed in Knoxville
• Beauford and Ted Joans
• Beauford and Elwood Peterson
• Gathering Strength from Spirituals
• Beauford Delaney Research Grant - 2023 Application Period Is Now Open
• Beauford's First European Road Trip
• May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
• Beauford and Bessie
• Happy Birthday, Beauford! A Revisiting
• Beauford Delaney Research Grant 2023/2024
• Jimmy and Beauford: The Bond of the Unusual Door
• Beauford at the Paris College of Art Commencement Ceremony
• David Leeming Presents the Bond of the Unusual Door
• Beauford and the Petrucci Family Foundation
• Happy Holidays from Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
• The Philosophy of Art Seminars
• Beauford and Loïs Mailou Jones
• Beauford and Langston Hughes
• Celebrating Music

Sold!

Both Beauford Delaney paintings that were offered at Phillips' December 8, 2020 morning sale of 20th-century modern and contemporary art sold at handsome prices. 

The estimated sale price for the 1964 self-portrait shown below (Lot 193) was $30,000 - $40,000. 

Self-portrait
(1964) oil on canvas
Signed, inscribed and dated "BEAUFORD DELANEY, PARIS 1964" on the reverse
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

 

It sold for $315,000.  

 

Street Scene (Lot 107) was estimated to sell for $120,000 - $180,000.

Street Scene
(1968) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated "BEAUFORD DELANEY 1968" lower right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator 

 

The actual sale price was $478,800.

 

Prices indicated include at 26% buyer's premium.

Beauford Delaney: Transcending Race and Time

The University of Tennessee (UT) Downtown Gallery is hosting an exhibition of a selection of paintings and drawings on loan from the Estate of Beauford Delaney.  The First Friday opening was held on December 4, 2020.

Beauford Delaney: Transcending Race and Time is an exhibition of twenty-one works that includes four oil on canvas paintings, abstract watercolors, pastel portraits, and three self-portraits. Some of the pieces in this show have never been exhibited publicly.

 Self-portrait, 1953
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The self-portrait selected to advertise the exhibition is dated 1953, the year that Beauford moved to Paris. It is similar to two self-portraits, a crayon on newsprint dated 1962 and a charcoal and pastel on newsprint dated 1963, from the Knoxville Museum of Art collection that was shown at the museum's Gathering Light exhibition in 2017.

Here are several views of the exhibition, provided by Beauford's estate.

Transcending Race and Time - Views of the exhibition
Images courtesy of the Estate of Beauford Delaney
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The estate's last public showing of Beauford's work was held during the "In a Speculative Light" symposium organized by Dr. Amy Elias, Director of the UT Humanities Center in February 2020.  That exhibition was held in the Student Union Art Gallery on UT's campus.

The Downtown Gallery is a contemporary art gallery exhibiting professional work through funding and support from The University of Tennessee.

• Exhibition dates: December 5, 2020 to January 30, 2021
• Hours: Wednesday - Friday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM and Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
• Price: Free
• Contact Name:  Mike Berry
• Contact Email:
• Location: UT Downtown Gallery
  106 S. Gay Street
  Knoxville, TN 37902
  (865) 673-0802
  

The UT Downtown Gallery will be closed December 24, 25, 26, 31, and January 1.

Look. Look Again: - A Remarkable Online Exhibition

A few days ago, Andrew Schoelkopf of Menconi + Schoelkopf, a fine art gallery in NYC, contacted me to inform me about a magnificent online exhibition of Beauford's work that is being presented by the gallery through December 6, 2020. 

 Look. Look Again: Beauford Delaney's Intimate Discoveries showcases a small, incredibly vibrant collection of works on paper dating from 1958-1969. 

Two of the images in the exhibition immediately brought to mind a work that I featured in a 2019 post called "Capturing the Shock of Life."

Untitled (Abstract composition)
 (1958) Oil on wove paper
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

The document that accompanies Look. Look Again: describes Beauford's "construction" of abstract works created during his Clamart period (1956-1962) and refers to them as being suggestive of the cosmos.  

It also quotes curator Sue Canterbury's reference to Beauford's interest in sunspots in her catalog for the Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris exhibition that she mounted at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2004.  Canterbury notes that Beauford exhibited a work called Cosmos at the Roko Gallery in NYC in 1952.

The oil on paper shown above and the two similar works in the Look. Look Again: exhibition definitely evoke the cosmos for me. 

Find the Menconi + Schoelkopf online exhibition here: Look. Look Again: Beauford Delaney's Intimate Discoveries