WASHINGTON, DC—‘Interior,’ one of Horace Pippin’s most well-known works, depicts an everyday, familial scene in a folk, vernacular style. While the mother and two children shown in the 1944 painting are of limited means, its warm tones remind one of the holidays and the basic comforts of home and family.
Born in West Chester, Pa., Pippin (1888-1946) was self-taught and the first African American artist to explore issues of war, socio-political matters and injustice in his work.
The Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa., recently acquired “Birmingham Meeting House III,” a 1941 Pippin painting depicting the Quaker building located four miles south of West Chester. The painting is on display in the museum’s first floor gallery.
“Interior” is on view at the National Gallery of Art where it is a part of the permanent collection.
All photos by Arts Observer
“Interior,” 1944 (oil on canvas).
