Brownie
Kerry James Marshall gained prominence in the 1990’s for works that often depict African American subjects long omitted from traditional narratives of history. The depictions are everyday settings that exude an otherworldly aura. In the non-traditional portrait, Brownie, painted in 1995, Marshall employs a traditional form of portrait painting to investigate notions of identity as well as often using a traditional portrait form as a call to reflect on past injustice.
Brownie is a portrait and memorial, centering on a young member of the Brownies, precursors to the Girl Scouts. Her face, very black, is a trademark of Marshall’s that serves to elevate awareness of the turbulent journey of acceptance for African Americans in society. The young girl’s pigtail can be seen emerging out of her Brownie beanie cap. There are green rays emanating from her face, conjuring a halo. It is an outright rendering of a young girl but with a projected underlying feeling of unease.
Marshall presented his lithograph to the Club as a gift on the occasion of his induction as a Distinguished Artist of the Union League Club. The original painting on which this lithograph was most likely based was painted in 1995. There is an edition of 50 printed lithographs of Brownie.
See more of his work at:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Permanent Collection. and hisMastery exhibition (2017) at the Met
