Bearden - "Nite Station" Abstract watercolor painting of city skyline

Romare Bearden • American: 1911-1988

Nite Station C:1985 • Watercolor on Paper 14” x 19-1/2”

The train, one of several “journeying things,” recurs in Bearden’s work – a memory from the artist’s youth in rural North Carolina and a symbol of the Underground Railroad and the northern migration of African-Americans from the South during the early part of the twentieth century.*

Romare Bearden was a child of Charlotte, NC who spent the great majority of his life in Harlem. His intellectual curiosity and restless creative spirit brought him center stage in the rich cultural brew that was Harlem in the early to mid-twentieth century. The location of his studio above the Apollo for 16 years was the perfect merger of two African-American icons. He composed jazz works for his cousin, Duke Ellington, traded poetry with Langston Hughes, studied art with famed sculptor Augusta Savage and German artist George Grosz.

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By the end of his life it seems Bearden left no creative stone unturned, and no intellectual pursuit unexplored. He is best known for his work in collage, using scraps of paper and fabric to construct scenes drawn from his experiences in Charlotte, Harlem, St. Martins and Pittsburgh. His art is filled with icons of the African-American experience and inspired by the jazz rhythms and blues riffs that seemingly played as a soundtrack to his life.

Bearden may be thought of as the most famous African-American artist, but he was really a renaissance man. “Unwilling to deny the Harlem where I grew up or the Haarlem of the Dutch Masters that contributed to my understanding art.” A creative force whose intellectual curiosity infused his art with both inspiration and understanding.

* From The Bearden Foundation Teacher’s Packet by the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

Canton Museum of Art Permanent Collection • Margretta Bockius Wilson Fund, 2007.9

4 Ways to Sound Smart When Viewing at The Canton Museum of Art

1.
“Bearden was both songwriter and visual artist. His jazz standard ‘Seabreeze’ was recorded by Billy Eckstein and Duke Ellington.”

2.
“While in Paris, he laboriously copied the works of master artists to learn their secrets of style and composition.”

3.
“He often used symbols in his work and the image of a train is a recurring thing, symbolizing freedom riders, African-American migration from the south and even the underground railroad.”

4.
“Bearden was so passionate about his art that he was working on new pieces until just a couple of days before his death from bone cancer.”

Bearden Timeline. Scroll over images to see timeline.

1911

There is some dispute about his actual birth date, but he was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He grew up in a middle-class, African-American family. His mother, Bessye, and father Howard, were both college educated and expected Romare to live a life of accomplishment.

1914

The Bearden family joined the Great Migration of southern blacks northward to escape Jim Crow laws. The family settled in Harlem the vibrant center of cultural and intellectual life for African-Americans.

1920s

Bearden’s mother was the New York editor of the Chicago Defender, a popular African-American weekly newspaper. Their home became a welcome meeting place for prominent African-American figures, including Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington.

1935

Graduated from New York University (NYU) with a degree in education. Became a caseworker for the New York City Department of Social Services, a position he did not completely retire from until 1969. Also took night classes at the Art Students League.

1940s

Early art was based on subjects from wide-ranging interests in literature and religion.

1942-45

Served in segregated unit of U.S. Army during World War II.

1950

Traveled to Paris on the GI Bill. Studied at the Sorbonne. Intently studied European art masters including Picasso and Matisse. Showed a remarkable intellectual curiosity that remained throughout his life.

1954

Married dancer Nanette Rohan. Her family originated in St. Martins, Caribbean and the Beardens eventually had a home there. He was a successful songwriter during this time when his art career stalled.

1963

Founded Spiral, a group of African-American artists. They first met as part of their commitment to civil rights, but ended up working collaboratively on collage projects. Bearden became fascinated with collage and had his most success with this medium.

1968

Founded the Studio Museum of Harlem.

1969

Published a book with painter Carl Holty, “A Painter’s Mind: A Study of the Relations of Structure and Space in Painting.”

1985

Taught himself to draw and paint with his left hand as bone cancer robbed him of the use of his right hand.

1987

Died in New York from bone cancer. His dear friend Russell Goins, a former pro football player, founder of Essence Magazine and man-about-town, often carried him to his studio as Bearden insisted on creating art until just a couple of days before he died.

1993

His book with journalist Harry Henderson, titled: A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present was published posthumously.