Artworks

Prelude to Farewell, 1981

  • Artist

    Romare Bearden

  • Title

    Prelude to Farewell

  • Date

    1981

  • Medium

    Collage and watercolor on paper

  • Dimensions

    49 × 37 1/4 in. (124.5 × 94.6 cm)

  • Credit line

    The Studio Museum in Harlem; gift of Altria Group, Inc.

  • Object Number

    2008.13.2

Drawing from a variety of art historical sources, including Cubism, Byzantine mosaics, and Mexican murals, Romare Bearden created semi-abstract works that explore the richness of everyday Black life. Here, he constructed a domestic space, foregrounding two starkly different figures. One, elaborately dressed and displaying a face inspired by African masks, is seated beside a glowing lamp. The second, nude and bathing over a basin, stands farther behind her. The layered composition offers a glimpse into an intimate moment.


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Artworks

Prelude to Farewell, 1981

  • Artist

    Romare Bearden

  • Title

    Prelude to Farewell

  • Date

    1981

  • Medium

    Collage and watercolor on paper

  • Dimensions

    49 × 37 1/4 in. (124.5 × 94.6 cm)

  • Credit line

    The Studio Museum in Harlem; gift of Altria Group, Inc.

  • Object Number

    2008.13.2

Drawing from a variety of art historical sources, including Cubism, Byzantine mosaics, and Mexican murals, Romare Bearden created semi-abstract works that explore the richness of everyday Black life. Here, he constructed a domestic space, foregrounding two starkly different figures. One, elaborately dressed and displaying a face inspired by African masks, is seated beside a glowing lamp. The second, nude and bathing over a basin, stands farther behind her. The layered composition offers a glimpse into an intimate moment.


Explore further