Archibald J. Motley Jr. (American, 1891–1981)
Black Belt,
1934
Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood is alive with Jazz Age glam in Archibald
Motley’s Black
Belt.
Born in New Orleans, Motley attended the School of the Art Institute of
Chicago. He went on to win awards and fellowships, painted for the Works
Progress Administration, and became a university instructor. He was a
modernist who looked to the old masters, and a portraitist who painted genre
scenes.
Motley sought social change through works that he hoped would speak across
racial divides—depicting the diversity of black experiences, portraying
intersecting social classes, and drawing from highly recognizable cinematic
techniques. Through these, he painted modern American life.
With subjects ranging from fine art, nature, and architecture to humor, the
metaphysical, and more, Pomegranate’s interlocking jigsaw puzzles combine
stunning images, superb color reproduction, and sturdy construction to
delight generations of novice and veteran puzzle solvers alike.
|
|
