#African American

North American Art

William H. Johnson in 10 Artworks—From Post-Impressionism to Folk Art

William H. Johnson’s paintings show a breadth of styles ranging from realism to Post-Impressionism, and later a folk art aesthetic that would...

Theodore Carter 12 February 2026

History

Jacob Lawrence and the Great Migration

As a child of the Great Migration, Jacob Lawrence was well placed to undertake such a mammoth task in detailing the journey from the rural South that...

Wendy Gray 12 February 2026

Women Artists

Augusta Savage: The Woman Who Defined 20th-Century Sculpture

Augusta Savage was a sculptress whose name is often missing from the list of illustrious Harlem Renaissance artists. Throughout her life, she merged...

Anastasia Tsaleza 12 February 2026

Carrie Mae Weems, Kitchen Table Series: Untitled (Woman and Daughter with Make-up), 1990. Photography

Masterpiece Series: Kitchen Table Series by Carrie Mae Weems

Artist Carrie Mae Weems was born in Portland, Oregon, USA. Now in her seventies, she is still actively working, and is considered one of America’s...

Candy Bedworth 1 February 2026

Aaron Douglas, Judgment Day, 1939, oil on tempered hardboard, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Judgement Day by Aaron Douglas

Judgment Day by Aaron Douglas is a masterpiece of Black history. It encapsulates the dynamic culture of the Harlem Renaissance through its striking...

James W Singer 1 February 2026

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Fons Americanus by Kara Walker

Kara Elizabeth Walker, born in 1969, is an American contemporary artist. She is known as a painter, silhouettist, print-maker, installation artist,...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 1 February 2026

Artist Stories

10 Famous Artists You Wouldn’t Think Were Self-Taught

Think art school is the only path to greatness? Think again. These 10 artists defied convention through persistence, originality, and vision, without...

Wen Gu 22 January 2026

The Carters (Beyoncé and Jay-Z) in front of Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503-1519, Louvre, Paris, France Music

All Louvre Masterpieces from Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s APES**T Video Explained

The famous music video shows Jay-Z and Beyoncé at the Louvre Museum in Paris. There are shots of them standing in front of the Mona Lisa wearing...

Zuzanna Stańska 22 December 2025

Jean-Michel Basquiat at an exhibition of his work in 1988, Vrej Baghoomian Gallery, New York, NY, USA. Photograph vt Julio Donoso via The Guardian. Artist Stories

Like a Flame—Jean-Michel Basquiat in 5 Paintings

He started out a couch-surfing throwaway. One day, a painting of his would sell for the highest price ever for an American artist at a public...

Helen Jeffery 22 December 2025

Women Artists

Emma Amos: The Story of Postmodernist African-American Artist

Emma Amos (1937–2020) was a postmodernist artist whose thought-provoking works have left an indelible mark on the art world. Amos emerged as a...

Arianna Richetti 17 November 2025

Contemporary Art

Fabrics of Power and Sensation: An Introduction to Basil Kincaid

Basil Kincaid (b. 1986) is an American contemporary artist. His multimedia work showcases the potential of repurposed materials while reflecting on...

Iolanda Munck 10 November 2025

North American Art

Marian Anderson: Singer, Civil Rights Icon, and Muse for Washington, DC Art

In the midst of the Jim Crow era, Marian Anderson’s undeniable voice rocketed her to stardom and made her the subject of several enduring works of...

Theodore Carter 20 October 2025