1960
(American, 1909–1979)
Oil on canvas
Overall: 122.6 x 184.5 cm (48 1/4 x 72 5/8 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2017.1
© Estate of Norman W. Lewis; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
Norman Lewis was the son of parents who had emigrated to the U.S. from Bermuda.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Lewis sought to align his interest in abstraction with current events. With its black and white palette, Alabama offers a symbolic duality for a time entrenched in racial conflict. Furthermore, the painting's composition has prompted viewers to draw additional associations from its abstract shapes, such as a nighttime Ku Klux Klan gathering.
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.