27

John Anansa Thomas Biggers

(1924-2001)

Market Women, Ghana.

Conte crayon on buff wove paper, 1957.
Signed, titled and dated in pencil, lower right.
17 x 21 in. (43.2 x 53.3 cm.)
Frame: 21 x 23 3/4 x 3/4 in. (53.3 x 60.3 x 1.9 cm.)

  • Provenance:
    Estate of Dr. J. Eugene Grigsby, Jr.
  • Notes:
    This drawing is a very good example of John Biggers' works on paper from his African travels – one of his many drawings of women. Biggers said that "Africa has a female sensibility", and "the woman was so powerful in African culture." In 1957, Biggers was one of the first African American artists to visit Africa, sponsored by a UNESCO fellowship to study and record traditional African culture. In addition to Ghana, Biggers and his wife Hazel visited Togo, the Republic of Benin and Nigeria over a six month period. Ghana had only just achieved its independence from Britain in March of that year. Biggers also illustrated eighty-three of his drawings from this African period in his book Ananse: The Web of Life in Africa published in 1962.
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

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April 2, 2026 12:00 PM EDT
New York, NY, US

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