verso: sketch of airplanes (?) [upside down in relation to image on recto] / Jacob Lawrence
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1997/1.530
- Title
- verso: sketch of airplanes (?) [upside down in relation to image on recto]
- Artist
- Jacob Lawrence
- Artist Nationality
- American
- Artist Life Dates
- 1917 - 2000
- Medium and Support
- tempera over black colored pencil on wood board
- Object Creation Date
- 1953
- Object Creation Place
- North and Central America (continent)
- United States (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- North and Central America (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- United States (nation)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
- Style/Group/Movement
- Abstract
- Inscription
- Signature: incised in the image l.r.: Jacob Lawrence 53
- Inscriptions and Marks: on removable backing board, l.l., written sideways with a blue colored pencil “#15”; u.c., with a blue colored pencil surrounded by an oval “112”; on liner, l.l., written sideways with a blue colored pencil “#15”; on tape covering upper member of the inner frame; u.r., written with a red colored pencil “44”
- Dimensions
- 50.3 cm x 60.9 cm (19 13/16 in. x 24 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- abstract
- Physical Description
- Eight abstracted figures (three kneeling in front and five standing in back) wearing orange tank tops and white shorts face the viewer; two basketballs and five trophies between figures in the foreground. Figures stand in front of a background of fragmented, arched and circular areas of color in blues and golds.
- Subject Matter
- Jacob Lawrence drew upon his surroundings in Harlem, NY for influence and inspiration. His work often contains people in the African American community and their struggles, dreams and triumphs. “Champions” depicts a portrait of an African American basketball team resplendent with their five trophies. The schematic designs, flat space, angular figures, and fragmented, highly patterned surfaces of this piece are typical of his style.
- Primary Keywords
- abstract
- abstraction
- african american
- basketball
- basketballs
- figures
- figures (representations)
- groups
- kneeling
- standing
- trophies (prizes)
- trophy
- Secondary Keywords
- ball game equipment
- balls for sports
- court ball games
- court games
- descriptors
- european
- european styles and periods
- genres
- how we live
- modern american styles and periods
- modern and contemporary art
- modern european fine arts styles and movements
- modern european styles and movements
- modern north american styles and movements
- object genres
- object genres by function
- objects
- objects we use
- people and culture
- people and occupations
- physical activities
- physical activities by location
- physical activities by specific context
- recreational artifacts
- recreational artifacts for competitive activities
- sports
- sports and athletic equipment
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by region
- the americas
- visual works
- visual works by subject type
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 2532 x 2004
- File Size
- 675 KB
- Record
- 1997/1.530
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.530/1997_1.522.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"verso: sketch of airplanes (?) [upside down in relation to image on recto]; Jacob Lawrence." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1997-sl-1.530/1997_1.522.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 23, 2024.