The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 8, 2026

A horizontally oriented watercolor depicts two men with medium-dark skin tones against a white background. The man on our left wears a light blue top and green pants and sits in a rocking chair facing away from us. The man on our right wears a peach-colored hat and green jacket and sits on a stool facing us. The composition features loose, gestural brushwork in earthy greens and browns.

Men on a Bench

c. 1985

Malcolm Brown

(American, 1931–2020)
America
watercolor
Sheet: 40.6 x 50.8 cm (16 x 20 in.)
Gift of Mary Pellegrini 2024.41
© Malcolm Brown
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

In 1973, Malcolm Brown was elected to the American Watercolor Society and he participated in the Art in Embassies program administered by the United States State Department, among numerous other accolades.

Description

Well-known for his Cleveland gallery, among the first and most important Black-run galleries in the United States, Malcolm Brown featured the work of canonical Black American artists from Romare Bearden to Elizabeth Catlett. He was also an accomplished artist himself and carried out a longstanding watercolor practice. This drawing presents two figures sharing an encounter on a park bench—the sort of subject favored by the artist for its everyday portrayal of Black life.
  • 1985
    (Malcolm Brown Gallery, Shaker Heights, OH, sold to Mary Pellegrini, Cleveland Heights, OH)
    1985–2024
    Mary Pellegrini, Cleveland Heights, OH, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    June 3, 2024–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Men on a Bench|url=false|author=Malcolm Brown|year=c. 1985|access-date=08 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2024.41