“As a young African American artist, there were few artists who symbolized in their work an uplifting and inspiration vision regarding the history, life, and future of African Americans to the broader public. As an artist, Aaron Douglas also personified the possibility of achieving recognition of our creative genius while receiving acclaim for his unique style of visual articulation. Douglas, like Henry Ossawa Tanner and Romare Bearden, was an art god to my generation of artists.” — Curlee Raven Holton
The History Matters, this striking self-portrait by Curlee Raven Holton, includes a reference to another work of art: Aaron Douglas’ 1926 study for God’s Trombones. Holton juxtaposes the expressionistic rendering of his own features against Douglas’ stylistic imagery. While Holton does not adopt Douglas’ style directly, his brushwork quotes the elder artist’s paint application. Holton explains that his 1999 painting acknowledges the artistic legacy that preceded him. His self-portrait is a powerful invitation for both viewer and potential artist to acknowledge the art history that precedes us.
A comparable example demonstrates Douglas’ unique composition and color palette. Aaron Douglas’ Study for a Mural in the Home of Dr. W.W. and Mrs. Grace Goens in Hockessin, Delaware, c. 1963.
An author, painter, and master printmaker, Curlee Raven Holton opened the commercial print shop Raven Fine Art Editions in Williams Township, Pennsylvania in 2017. In addition to Professor Emeritus at Lafayette College, Curlee Raven Holton was the Executive Director of the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African American and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland-College Park. He founded the Experimental Printmaking Institute at Lafayette College, a program that supports artists and scholars working in printmaking. Read more about Holton and see other examples of his art in DelArt’s collection online. Hear from the artist directly during this behind-the-scenes visit to his studio.
Margaret Winslow
Head Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art
Top to bottom: The History Matters, 1999. Curlee Raven Holton (born 1951). Oil on paper, 21 3/4 × 15 5/8 inches, sheet: 23 × 16 1/8 inches. Delaware Art Museum, Gift of Dr. Christine I. Oaklander in honor of David C. Driskell, 2018. © Curlee Raven Holton. Study for a Mural in the Home of Dr. W.W. and Mrs. Grace Goens in Hockessin, Delaware, c. 1963. Aaron Douglas (1899–1979). Oil on canvas board, 15 15/16 × 20 inches. Delaware Art Museum, Acquired through the partial gift of Alberta Price Fitzgerald, and Wilson, Deborah, and Lauren Copeland in honor of Walter and Grace Price Goens; Acquisition Fund; a generous contribution from the City of Wilmington; contributions from The Judith Rothschild Foundation; Donald J. Puglisi; Rodman Ward, Jr.; Peggy H. Woolard; H. F. and Marguerite Lenfest; Paula J. Malone; Lynn Herrick Sharp; Robert and Mike Abel; P. Coleman Townsend; Danielle Rice and Jeffrey Berger; and other contributors, 2008. © Artist’s Estate.