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| Accession # | 2006.2 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Eldzier Cortor |
| Title | Southern Landscape (Southern Flood) |
| Date | ca. 1944-1945 |
| Medium | Tempera and gesso on board |
| Dimensions | 20 x 34 in. (50.8 x 86.4 cm) frame: 26 x 40 x 1 1/2 in. (66 x 101.6 x 3.8 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Adler and bequest of Laura L. Barnes, by exchange |
| Location | American Identities: A Brooklyn Orientation |
Curatorial Remarks: Already committed to a realistic style and to African American subjects, Eldzier Cortor was on his way to the Georgia Sea Islands when he was inspired to paint this image. A languid young couple is shown picnicking before the backdrop of a valley that has been flooded to construct a hydroelectric dam. Cortor endowed the muscular figures with a calm stoicism, modeling their facial features on the fixed and powerful forms of African masks. According to the artist, “[It] was created from my feelings in the face of devastation, and the two figures represent youth with hope.”
