1945 (ca.), William H. Johnson, Marian Anderson -- Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington)
From the museum label:
In 1939, Marian Anderson (1897–1993), an internationally acclaimed contralto renowned for singing operatic arias, spirituals, and Gospel music, was barred from performing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, because of her race. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt protested, as did the NAACP, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the American Federation of Labor, and other national organizations. Within weeks the Secretary of the Interior invited Anderson to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. She was initially reluctant:
I said yes, but the yes did not come easily or quickly.... As I thought further, I could see that my significance as an individual was small in this affair. I had become, whether I liked it or not, a symbol, representing my people.
More than seventy-five thousand people came to hear her perform; millions more listened on the radio.
Johnson painted at least three portraits of Anderson. Two show her in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In this, the third, she is surrounded by symbols of her international fame. Brazilian, Chilean, and Ecuadorean flags represent her 1937 and 1938 concert tours of South America. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, and other monuments track her popularity across Europe and Scandinavia. Johnson also honored Anderson's longtime accompanist Kosti Vehanen, who is seated at a grand piano.
1945 (ca.), William H. Johnson, Marian Anderson -- Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington)
From the museum label:
In 1939, Marian Anderson (1897–1993), an internationally acclaimed contralto renowned for singing operatic arias, spirituals, and Gospel music, was barred from performing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, because of her race. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt protested, as did the NAACP, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the American Federation of Labor, and other national organizations. Within weeks the Secretary of the Interior invited Anderson to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. She was initially reluctant:
I said yes, but the yes did not come easily or quickly.... As I thought further, I could see that my significance as an individual was small in this affair. I had become, whether I liked it or not, a symbol, representing my people.
More than seventy-five thousand people came to hear her perform; millions more listened on the radio.
Johnson painted at least three portraits of Anderson. Two show her in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In this, the third, she is surrounded by symbols of her international fame. Brazilian, Chilean, and Ecuadorean flags represent her 1937 and 1938 concert tours of South America. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, and other monuments track her popularity across Europe and Scandinavia. Johnson also honored Anderson's longtime accompanist Kosti Vehanen, who is seated at a grand piano.