ACQUISITION: Robert S. Duncanson’s “Still Life with Fruit and Nuts” acquired by National Gallery of Art

Rare painting now on display in permanent exhibit gallery
By Erin Williams | WashingtonPost.com
February 2, 2011

The National Gallery of Art has acquired African-American artist Robert Seldon Duncanson’s 1848 “Still Life with Fruit and Nuts.” The painting, one of less than a dozen still lifes that the artist created, will go on view February 3, 2011.

Duncanson, who also worked in Canada and Europe, is thought to be the first African American artist to receive international acclaim. Nancy Anderson, curator and head of the department of American and British paintings, calls the painting a “wonderful addition” to the gallery. “This was a missing piece, and because his still life paintings are so rare, it was very difficult to find one. It’s a hole that’s now been filled.”

The painting is the first of Duncanson’s to be acquired by the museum, and will remain on permanent exhibit in the Still Life gallery.

Source

Condemning Slavery With a Paintbrush (NYTimes)

Still Life for National