DepartmentUnited States & Canada

Mixed media painting

NamePainting

Artist Purvis Young (1943 - 2010)

CultureAfrican American

Dateca.1985-1991

Place madeMiami, Florida, United States, North America

MediumPaint, masonite, wood, glue

Dimensions26 3/4 × 22 1/16 × 1/16 in. (68 × 56 × 0.2 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift in recognition of Janet Fleisher, A.2020.17.13

Object numberA.2020.17.13

Collections

United States and Canada

ProvenanceThis gift from the estate of Janet Fleisher consists of multiple works by two self-taught artists—The Philadelphia Wireman and Purvis Young--whom Janet Fleisher represented in her gallery in Philadelphia. Fleisher opened the Janet Fleisher Gallery near Rittenhouse Square in the mid-1960s and operated it for more than 30 years, until her retirement in 1996. She showed an eclectic variety of work, including work by self-taught or “outsider” artists, one of the earliest galleries to champion this genre of work. Janet Fleisher passed away in 2010.

DescriptionThis painting is comprised of a faux wood panel Masonite board, paint, and glue. The board has an overall rectangular shape, with groves running vertically that are the faux wood boards. The central image is a grouping of dark gray mountain like shapes. The background is a pale yellow with dark red and pink over top of the yellow. The artists’ signature is in the upper proper left hand corner in black paint.