Early Works #25: Self-Portrait
Faith Ringgold
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art
On View: American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Witness
About this Brooklyn Icon
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
In 1965, Faith Ringgold was 35 years old and already a force to be reckoned with, though many didn’t know that yet. In fact, it would take decades for the mainstream art world to catch up with her political vision and creative brilliance. Self-Portrait is part of an early series in which the artist addressed the political realities of Black Americans in the 1960s head-on. As she explained in a recent interview, Ringgold painted people and racially charged events at the dawn of the civil rights movement because she “couldn’t pretend everything was OK.”
Within this series capturing civil unrest and political activism, Self-Portrait stands out as unique. Quiet and contemplative, the artist presents herself as both a modern Black woman and a symbol of female power. With crossed arms that also seem to cradle, Ringgold’s attention is direct and her figure is self-contained, surrounded by an aura reminiscent of a religious relic. Ringgold has said, “I wanted my painting to express this moment I knew was history. I wanted to give my women’s point of view to this period.”
In Self-Portrait, Ringgold places herself at the center of a history that she not only lived through and documented, but also changed as an artistic visionary.
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
In 1965, Faith Ringgold was 35 years old and already a force to be reckoned with, though many didn’t know that yet. In fact, it would take decades for the mainstream art world to catch up with her political vision and creative brilliance. Self-Portrait is part of an early series in which the artist addressed the political realities of Black Americans in the 1960s head-on. As she explained in a recent interview, Ringgold painted people and racially charged events at the dawn of the civil rights movement because she “couldn’t pretend everything was OK.”
Within this series capturing civil unrest and political activism, Self-Portrait stands out as unique. Quiet and contemplative, the artist presents herself as both a modern Black woman and a symbol of female power. With crossed arms that also seem to cradle, Ringgold’s attention is direct and her figure is self-contained, surrounded by an aura reminiscent of a religious relic. Ringgold has said, “I wanted my painting to express this moment I knew was history. I wanted to give my women’s point of view to this period.”
In Self-Portrait, Ringgold places herself at the center of a history that she not only lived through and documented, but also changed as an artistic visionary.
MEDIUM
Oil on canvas
DATES
1965
DIMENSIONS
50 × 40 in. (127 × 101.6 cm)
frame: 52 7/16 × 44 1/2 × 2 3/4 in. (133.2 × 113 × 7 cm)
weight with painting framed: 40 lb. (18.14kg) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
2013.96
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Elizabeth A. Sackler
PROVENANCE
Before March 4, 2007, acquired, probably from the artist, by ACA Galleries, New York, NY; by December 20, 2010, acquired, probably from ACA Galleries, by Elizabeth A. Sackler of New York, NY; December 12, 2013, gift of Elizabeth A. Sackler to the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is on view in American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Witness
CAPTION
Faith Ringgold (American, 1930–2024). Early Works #25: Self-Portrait, 1965. Oil on canvas, 50 × 40 in. (127 × 101.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Elizabeth A. Sackler, 2013.96. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2013.96_PS9.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 2013.96_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2015
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
© Faith Ringgold, 1965
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