Portrait of Gaylord
Description
When Delaney moved to New York City at the outset of the Great Depression in 1929, he quickly fell in with the writers, artists, and musicians of Harlem and Greenwich Village. Throughout his life he painted portraits of these friends, though the identities of some, including “Gaylord” in this painting, remain a mystery. Gaylord is thought to have been a musician, a pianist with two fingers missing on one hand, who played at a club frequented by Delaney. To the right of Gaylord’s face is an image of a piano player, perhaps Gaylord himself, while on the left is a figure, possibly Delaney, standing in front of an easel. This work, with its bright colors and swirled brushstrokes, is reminiscent of one of Delaney’s main influences: Vincent van Gogh.
Object Information
Date Created:
1944
Local ID:
1999.18
Collection:
Paintings
Provenance:
Purchased from the artist by Mr.& Mrs. Albert Hackett, New York, 1945; to Ms. L. Koch, New York, 1995. Purchased from Martha Henry, Inc. New York.
Place of Creation/Discovery:
New York City
Credit Line:
Charlotte E.W. Buffington Fund
Citation:
Beauford Delaney, "Portrait of Gaylord," 1944, oil on canvas mounted on artist board, Charlotte E.W. Buffington Fund, 1999.18
Dimensions:
30 x 22 in.
Creator(s):
Beauford Delaney
Materials:
oil on canvas mounted on artist board
Classification:
Paintings
Rights:
Estate of Beauford Delaney, Represented by Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NY
