Earle - Man with a Hat from the collection of Miriam McClung

Front. Color correct.

Earle - Man with a Hat, c. 1959

Conte Crayon on Paper on Paper Board

36 x 24 in

Inv: 117-MM

$3,000

Available

This circa 1959 conte crayon drawing shows Earle, an African American man wearing a baseball-style cap and work overalls, rendered in profile with his gaze cast quietly downward. McClung made the drawing in Max Heldman's art class either at the Birmingham Museum of Art or the Little House on Linden Gallery in Homewood, Alabama, shortly after returning home from a year of study in New York City. At 25 years old, McClung was sharpening her observational skills, and the focused detail in Earle's face contrasts with the looser, more gestural lines defining his shoulders, arms, and lap, while a small separate study of an ear in the upper right corner offers a glimpse into her working process. The drawing carries particular significance given its time and place: Birmingham in 1959 was one of the most segregated cities in the American South, and the Civil Rights Movement was just beginning to take hold. McClung's careful, dignified portrayal of Earle, along with his quiet, inward expression, gives the work a depth and humanity that speaks to the broader weight of the moment, even as it remains, first and foremost, a tender and respectful portrait of one man.

Email Facebook X LinkedIn Pinterest

From Miriam McClung

Highland Falls, North Carolina, 2017

Miriam McClung

Pastel on Paper

25.5 x 19.5 in

$1,000
The Fishing Net and the Chair at the Beach, 2010

Miriam McClung

Pastel on Paper

15.75 x 19.5 in

$735
Sermon on the Mount, 2000

Miriam McClung

Oil on Linen Canvas

37.5 x 37.5 x 0.75 in

NFS
Brother Bryan at Five Points, 1995

Miriam McClung

Pastel on Paper

19.75 x 25.5 in

$500
The Road to Wilsonville, Alabama, c. 1995

Miriam McClung

Pastel on Paper

14.25 x 19.75 in

$750
Railroad and Train in Irondale, Alabama, c. 1990

Miriam McClung

Pastel on Paper

12.75 x 19.75 in

$550
Day Nurse for My Grandmother, 1962

Miriam McClung

Oil on Linen Canvas

40 x 35 x 0.75 in

NFS
Abstract - Alabama 26, 1957

Miriam McClung

Ink on Paper

10.75 x 8.25 in

$650