The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 23, 2024

Siesta

Siesta

1940
(American, 1913–1997)
America, Ohio, Cleveland
linoleum cut
Platemark: 22.8 x 20.4 cm (9 x 8 1/16 in.); Sheet: 27.7 x 21.7 cm (10 7/8 x 8 9/16 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1943.244
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

With a fellow artist, William E. Smith went on to found the first gallery specifically devoted to African American art in Los Angeles after World War II.

Description

African American artist William E. Smith was affiliated with the Karamu House in Cleveland in the 1930s. Karamu House, which still thrives today, is one of the oldest African American theaters and art educational institutions in the United States. This work is indicative of the artist’s desire to bring the struggles of the Black community to broader public visibility during the Depression. In the print, the man’s utter inactivity suggests not only his economic despair but also the psychological and social alienation that accompanies unemployment. Smith created a dramatic mood in the image through a stark tonal contrast produced using a linoleum block, a readily available material that could be carved much like a wood block.
  • William E. Smith Entry Card to 1943 May Show. Cleveland Museum of Art May Show Records, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
  • Ashcan School Prints and the American City, 1900-1940. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 18-December 26, 2021).
    Our Stories: African American Prints and Drawings. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (January 26 - May 18, 2014).
    Transformations in Cleveland Art, 1796-1946. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 19-July 21, 1996).
    Urban Vicissitudes. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 2-September 29, 1985).
    Impressions / Expressions: Black American Graphics. Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (organizer) (October 7, 1979-January 6, 1980); Howard University, Washington, D.C., DC (February 10-March 28, 1980).
    The May Show: 25th Annual Exhibition of Works by Cleveland Artists and Craftsmen. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 27-June 6, 1943).
  • {{cite web|title=Siesta|url=false|author=William E. Smith|year=1940|access-date=23 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1943.244