Combating Racism: Betsy Graves Reyneau, Laura Wheeler Waring and Representation of Black Achievement
Description:
In 1943, the Harmon Foundation commissioned artists Betsy Graves Reyneau and Laura Wheeler Waring to make portraits of eminent Black Americans capable of highlighting Black achievement and fighting white prejudice. These forty-two paintings were first shown at the Smithsonian in 1944. This discussion revisits the exhibition, exploring the intersection of gender, philanthropy, Black history, and African American art during and just after World War II to show the exhibition's complex formation. Presented by Steven Nelson, Dean of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA) at the National Gallery of Art. This presentation is part of the Edgar P. Richardson Lecture Series: Women, Power, and Portraiture hosted by PORTAL, the Portrait Gallery's Scholarly Center.
