Kerry James Marshall

(c)Kerry James Marshall
La Venus Negra, 1984
Painting , 152.4 x 101.6 cm
acrylic, paper

La Venus Negra (1984) portrays a female figure against a background of black and gold. The woman's gestures towards her heart, in reference to ancient religious symbols and paintings. From the middle of the 1980s, aside from the creation of an archetype for the black figure, Marshall also explores other aspects of African-American representation.