(American/Virginia/Texas, 1924-2001)

Figural Group, 1949, signed lower left "John Biggers", graphite on paper, 23-3/4 x 18 in.; modern gilt wood frame, 31-1/2 x 25-1/2 in.

Provenance: The Collection of Arthur Gilliard, Artforms and Theater Concepts, acquired from the artist while in residence at Bishop College, Dallas, Texas. In 1949 Mr. Biggers joined the faculty of Texas State University for Negroes in Houston, now Texas Southern University, where he established and was chairman of the art department.; Private South Carolina Collection

Note: John Biggers was born in North Carolina to a father who was an educator, preacher, and shoemaker. His mother was a domestic worker in white households.  He attended Hampton University after high school and it was there he first learned about the influence of African American artists and the social and religious context from which their work grew. The museum at Hampton University (Hampton Institute at the time) had a significant collection of work by African artists as well. He studied with both Charles White and Elizabeth Catlett. He was influenced by the Harlem Renaissance, Mexican Muralists, American Regionalists and the artistic currents of his place and time.

In 1943 Biggers was drafted and joined the Navy and that same year his work was included in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Biggers enrolled in Pennsylvania State University where he earned a Masters and PhD.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Biggers work in educating a generation of African American artists who came through Texas Southern University. He received a UNESCO fellowship in 1957 and was one of the first African American artists to travel to Africa under the auspices of UNESCO. It was a formative experience for both he and his wife Hazel and they returned many times.  His own work thoughtfully and poignently connects the mythology of his African roots, the life he experienced in the south and the modern currents of mid-Century America.

It is impossible to capture the career of a great artist in so few words. We are pleased to have the opportunity to present this figural drawing.