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Date Mid 20th Century
Classification Painting
Medium Oil on masonite board
Dimensions 22 × 14 in. (55.88 × 35.56 cm)
Frame 25.75 × 17.75 in. (65.41 × 45.09 cm)
Inscriptions Signed (lower center)
Born 1912 in Detroit, MI
Martin Rosenthal
Died 1987 in Chicago, IL
Known as the “Black Picasso”, Walter Sanford’s impact on American art must not be understated. He had his first major solo exhibition at the ripe age of 18. He opened Detroit’s first black-owned art gallery and exhibited in the first Negro Art Exhibition. Sanford was an integral part of the second Wave of the Black Chicago Renaissance. He operated a long-time studio there, spent nights sketching at Club DeLisa, and painted entertainers like Billie Holiday and Roberta Flack.
Major Exhibits:
Chicago History Museum
Detroit Institute of Art
Stuttgart Museum (Germany)
South Side Community Art Center
