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Rooftop

1957
(American, 1915–1999)
America, 20th century
oil on masonite
Unframed: 61 x 63.5 cm (24 x 25 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2009.7
© Estate of Hughie Lee-Smith / Licensed by VAGA at ARS, NY
Location: 228B Cleveland Artists
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

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Did You Know?

Hughie Lee-Smith ran track with fellow student Jesse Owens at East Technical High School in Cleveland.

Description

Trained in Cleveland before launching his mature career in Detroit and New York, Lee-Smith frequently painted isolated—and often solitary—figures amid desolate cityscapes and landscapes. They have pronounced overtones of introspection, which the artist attributed, in part, to his experiences navigating the forces and effects of racism: "In my case, aloneness, I think, has stemmed from the fact that I’m Black. Unconsciously it has a lot to do with alienation."
Rooftop

Rooftop

1957

Hughie Lee-Smith

(American, 1915–1999)
America, 20th century

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