Archibald Motley
Archibald Motley, Junior was born on September 2nd, 1891. He is mostly known for his work colorful portraying African Americans in many activities in the 1920s and 1930s such as, dancing in nightclubs and social gatherings. Motley had a strong fascination with the variety of skin tones and he painted many African American women with varying blood qualities (mulatos, octoroon, ect.). With his focus on the variety of skin tones, it is said that Motley celebrated skin tones as something to be diverse and something that made the black community feel ore inclusive with one another. Motley is said to be one of the many contributors of artwork during the Harlem renaissance. However, Motley was not born in Harlem nor did he grow up in Harlem. Motley was actually a New Orleans native, but spent majority of his time in Chicago. With his family being the only black family in a predominately European neighborhood, plus his the type of social class he was a part of, Motley was able to benefit from art training at the Art Institute of Chicago. However, since he lived in a particular neighbor hood, it wasn’t one that was in touch with the actual black culture. Motley actually had to travel to the inner parts of Chicago to actually observe the high impact of jazz on the social, and cultural aspect of African American life. His training later benefited him in the long run, after he was able to receive his own person exhibit in New York City, and also being the only African American to do so during this era. A year before he decided that he should apply for the Guggenheim Fellowship but he was denied. He reapplied and was later accepted, which then moreover lead him to study in France. A majority of Motley’s influence was from many of the great works that he observed from various artists at the Louvre. But Dutch artist such as Hals, Delacroix were some of his main inspirers. Once he finished his fellowship the year he was accepted, he decided not to pursue another one after his year stint. Later he then won the Harmon Foundation award in 1928. Out of the twenty-six paintings that were on display in his exhibit, he was able to successfully sell twenty-two of his works at the show. Motley married a white woman and later moved to France to live the rest of his days until his death in 1981. Motley’s works are as stated before ones that have not only shaped the world of art, but more importantly the black community as a whole. His works are ones that are highly recognized and will always be held in high stature by many of the top critics. His works are what shaped the Harlem Renaissance and it has inspired other African American artist to continue on his legacy and to peruse their own forms of art in the years to come. And this is why Archibald Motley is held at a high position in the art world.