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Property from a Private Texas Collection
Lot 11
John Thomas Biggers(American, 1924-2001)Women, Ghana 32 1/2 x 40in
4 December 2013, 14:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$87,500 inc. premium
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John Thomas Biggers (American, 1924-2001)
Women, Ghana
signed 'Biggers' (lower left)
oil on Masonite
32 1/2 x 40in
signed 'Biggers' (lower left)
oil on Masonite
32 1/2 x 40in
Footnotes
PROVENANCE:
The artist
Private collection, Houston, Texas
Private collection, Texas, acquired from the above
By descent to the present owner
John Thomas Biggers, known for his murals depicting the social realities of fellow African Americans, was among the greatest narrative voices of twentieth century America art. He was not only a muralist, but a painter, sculptor, illustrator and distinguished educator. In 1941, Biggers attended the Hampton Institute where he intended to study plumbing. Yet soon after taking a drawing class with Austrian artist Viktor Lowenfeld and meeting Charles White, the famed WPA muralist, he turned his focus to art and education. In 1942, Biggers was featured in a landmark exhibition Young Negro Art at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He would later follow his mentor, Lowenfeld, to Pennsylvania State University, where he received a B.S. and M.S. in Art Education and a Ph.D. for his research on the Contribution of Negro Women to American Life and Education. In 1949, he went on to found the Art Department at Texas Southern University, where he taught for over thirty years.
Much of Biggers' work is based on his African ancestry. The present work, Women, Ghana, was inspired by a six month trip the artist took to Africa in 1957. A UNESCO Fellowship allowed Biggers the opportunity to study art, culture, and tradition in the region. The trip would prove to be a "positive shock" that deepened Biggers' awareness of his own ancestral background. While his early work centered on critical depictions of racial and economic injustice, he later created allegorical pieces rich in mythical meaning and symbolism inspired by his African heritage.
Biggers went on to complete twenty-seven public murals, publish an award-winning illustrated book Ananse: The Web of Life in Africa, 1962, and receive a number of distinguished teaching awards.