John Biggers (American, 1924-2001), Seated Woman

Oil on panel, circa mid 1940s, signed "Biggers" on the verso, framed.

Included with the lot is a wheel thrown ceramic vase with a dark blue glaze inscribed "BIGGERS 45" on the underside. This vase was acquired from the same private estate as the painting.

Panel 36 x 29 in.; Frame dimensions 38 1/2 x 31 1/2 in.

According to the consignor, this painting is from the Collection of the late Joseph W. Gilliard, professor emeritus of Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
Private Collection, Newport News, Virginia

Professor Joseph Gilliard was a pivotal figure in African American art education, particularly through his long-standing association with Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in Virginia. As a mentor and educator, Gilliard fostered an environment that nurtured the talents of young Black artists during a time when opportunities were scarce. He worked closely with Viktor Lowenfeld, the influential Austrian art educator who taught at Hampton before moving to Penn State, and whose progressive ideas about creativity and the psychological development of artists shaped the curriculum. Among Gilliard’s notable students were John Biggers, who later founded the art department at Texas Southern University, and Charles White, whose powerful social realist drawings and prints became cornerstones of American art. Gilliard’s guidance and encouragement were instrumental in shaping these artists' early development and affirming the importance of African American visual expression in a segregated society.

Born in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1924, John Biggers was one of the most significant African American artists of the 20th century. He enrolled at Hampton University in Virginia - then Hampton Institute - where he planned to study plumbing, but after taking a class taught by the influential art educator Viktor Lowenfeld, his concentration shifted. Artistic highlights of his experience at Hampton Institute are the inclusion of work in the 1943 Museum of Modern Art exhibition, Young Negro Art, a compilation of selected works by Hampton students. Biggers also became friends with fellow students and artists, Elizabeth Catlett and Charles White.

Biggers was drafted for the US Navy in 1943, which at the time was still segregated, so he was stationed at Hampton and created preparatory military models for training purposes. Upon leaving the army, he transferred to Pennsylvania State University, where he completed his Ph.D. in Art Education. He went on to accept a faculty position at Texas State University for Negroes in Houston (now Texas Southern University), where he founded and chaired the Art Department until his retirement.

The present painting bears resemblance in style and subject matter to Biggers' painting, Old Couple (aka Home Sweet Home), which dates to 1944 and was included in the Southern/Modern exhibition at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Age cracking to panel and associated minor fleabite losses; scattered retouch visible under UV light.