96

Romare Bearden

(1911-1988)

Untitled (Nude in Forest).

Collage of various papers, with mixed media and surface abrasion, mounted on Masonite board, circa 1971.
Signed in ink, upper left.
11 x 14 in. (27.9 x 35.6 cm.), Frame: 16 1/4 x 19 1/2 x 1 3/4 in. (41.3 x 49.5 x 4.4 cm.)

  • Provenance:
    Cinque Gallery, New York.
    The collection of Ambassador Shirley E. Barnes, Washington, DC.

    Ambassador Barnes served on the board of directors of the Cinque Gallery.
  • Notes:
    Untitled (Nude in Forest) is an excellent example of Romare Bearden's densely layered collage. The figure is comprised of substantially packed fauna within a tropical landscape and a solitary female nude, quietly and impactfully commanding the scene. The figure is in contrast with the textures and color of the rest of the composition. This collage shows Bearden's integration of many types of his collage media – patterned paper, hand colored paper, and distressed paper. Bearden also introduced surface abrasion as early as 1968, with more solid areas of color and fewer collage photographic images. In Untitled (Nude in Forest), Bearden's composition of lush, layered plant-life emphasizes the two-dimensional surface. By utilizing spatial flatness, Bearden references both the history of Dutch and ancient Chinese painting, with an awareness of contemporary abstraction. Similar collages include Green Times Remember – Recollections Pool,1970, and In Martinique, 1971, collection of Wayne State University.

    To be included in the forthcoming Romare Bearden Digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc.
  • Condition:
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April 2, 2026 12:00 PM EDT
New York, NY, US

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