Girls Profile

Object Details

Artist
James Lesesne Wells
Date
1929
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
Frame: 19 3/16 × 19 1/8 × 5/8 in. (48.7 × 48.6 × 1.6 cm)
Caption
This woodblock print is typical of artist James Lesesne Wells’s early work, which depicts African Americans in urban and rural spaces. The facial expression of the young Black woman is inscrutable, though the exaggerated horizontal black and white lines covering her profile indicate drama conveyed through shadows and light. The woman’s attire, hairstyle, and depiction in profile invoke imagery from ancient Egypt, while the landscape, the sky’s straited black and white lines, and the solid border reflect the crisp, elegant lines characteristic of traditional woodblock carving and 20th century modernism.
Accession Number
2014.0018.0002
Type
print
See more items in
Anacostia Community Museum Collection
Data Source
Anacostia Community Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dl857068465-a1e0-4ca3-8546-9d29dd7626b9
Record ID
acm_2014.0018.0002
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