Description
Influenced by African art and European modernism, Eldzier Cortor created a series of paintings featuring African American women. Classical Study No. 34 depicts a woman in profile resting on her hand. Her elongated facial features and fingers are reminiscent of Cortor’s other figural works. The woman’s red, yellow, and green scarf, among the colors of the Pan-African flag, recalls her African heritage. In titling the painting Classical Study, Cortor placed the female black archetype alongside that of ancient marble sculptures.
Image
Oil On Canvas
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist in memory of Sophia Cortor
