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1996.101.4, Painting
Untitled (Brown and Black Figure with Yellow)
1996.101.4, Painting

Untitled (Brown and Black Figure with Yellow)

Dateca. 1980
Artist/Maker Mary Tillman Smith (1904-1995)
OriginAmerica, Mississippi, Hazelhurst
MediumHouse paint on plywood panel
DimensionsFramed: 34 3/4" x 27"
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. T. Marshall Hahn, Jr.
Object number1996.101.4
DescriptionLarge portrait of a black and brown figure. The figure is mostly black with brown details, such as the arms, hands, and eyes. There is a white line painted above the eyes. Other elements of the face are highlighted in either white or yellow. A vertical row of yellow dots is painted from just below the mouth, down between the hands.
Label TextMary Smith began painting when she was nearly 70, but images had filled her mind throughout her life. As a child, she suffered from a severe hearing loss that isolated her but also made her intensely independent. Having her own home later in life allowed Smith to explore her imagination in a new way. She transformed the house and garden into an artistic environment with bold paintings on plywood or corrugated tin, some incorporating text, and many worked in only two or three colors. Some of Smith’s images seem to draw inspiration from West African ceremonial masks, while others sprang from her Christian faith. Displaying her art in this way finally allowed Smith to express herself to the world.