WHO: Horace Pippin
WHAT: Painter
WHERE: Pennsylvania, USA
WHEN: 22 February 1888 – 6 July 1946
Horace Pippin is best known for his striking oil paintings, which depicted the American landscapes around him and scenes from his heritage. At a young age and throughout his World War I service in the famous Harlem Hellfighters 369th infantry, Horace drew the scenes around him. As a form of rehabilitation after being shot in the shoulder, Horace continued creating art and eventually moved to oil paintings. His paintings find a unique place of maturity and folk art, as the colors, textures, and dimensionality give voice to Pippin’s perspective on slavery, segregation, the Great Depression, and American life. You can find a curated selection of his works and other Black artists in our new “Harlem Renaissance” gallery.
“When I was a boy I loved to make pictures, [but war] brought out all the art in me. I can never forget suffering and I will never forget sunsets. So I came home with all of it in my mind and I paint from it today.” -Horace Pippin
