New York – Bonhams is thrilled to present the upcoming auction of Robert Colescott’s masterpiece, 1919. Created in 1980 at the height of Colescott’s practice, this work is fresh to market, coming directly from the family, and was the centerpiece in the recent retrospective, Art and Race Matters: The Career of Robert Colescott. 1919 stands as a poignant and introspective self-portrait, providing a window into both Colescott’s personal journey and a nuanced exploration of America’s racial history. It is a poetic statement of promise, a nod to heritage and the legacy of generations across America who challenged the social iniquity of their day; a paean to those mothers and fathers who redefined the political landscape of a country. Embodying Colescott’s unparalleled mastery and his profound abilities to confront topics of race through personal narrative, 1919 isregarded as the artist’s most important work. 1919 will be offered as a single lot sale, estimated at $3,000,000 – 5,000,000, at Bonhams New York on September 8 during The Armory Week in New York. The work will be on view at Bonhams London this June.
“The world adores Robert Colescott for the profound complexity and unyielding discomfort that his work evokes. Ultimately, we recognize Colescott for his courage in fearlessly confronting topics of race and issues that are deeply personal to him,” commented Ralph Taylor, Bonhams Global Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art. “Artists like Colescott, are now embraced by a society that heralds the renaissance of such visionary artists who address the raw truths of history. As such, 1919 is an undeniable masterpiece, solidifying its place among the greatest paintings of our time.”
Art and Race Matters, organized by the Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati in 2019, embarked on a nationwide tour, captivating audiences in Portland, Sarasota, Chicago, and culminated at the New Museum in New York in 2022, was a groundbreaking exhibition that shed light on Colescott’s artistic talents and showcased his remarkable life story. Colescott had been painting for over two decades, but it wasn’t until the mid-1960s when he had a breakthrough experience personally, which he began to tackle in his paintings, that ultimately led to the distinctive style of paintings now synonymous with his name. Colescott had been raised all his life to pass as white and grew up in a dynamic where light skin and Caucasian features held in high value. It wasn’t until his time in Egypt that he experienced this radical breakthrough. Immersed in an environment where everyone looked like him, he began questioning the path he had taken in life and the identity he had constructed for himself. Colescott fearlessly confronted these complexities in his paintings, and it led him to create the satirical paintings addressing Black identity that ultimately established his name in the art world.
1919 encapsulates this exploration on a deeply personal level, skilfully weaving together themes of racial identity with his own experiences. The painting reflects his parents’ decision to leave the racially divided South and settle in California. The composition features a map of the United States, indicating his parents’ departure from New Orleans to Oakland, as well as two baby birds in a nest that serve as symbols for Robert and his older brother. Colescott’s mother is depicted on the left with lighter skin tone, while his father, dressed in his World War I soldier’s uniform, stands on the right with a darker skin tone. The contrasting skin tones used by the artist do not necessarily represent their physical appearances but reflect how they identified themselves – his mother, who resisted being identified as Black, had raised the family as such, despite disagreement from Colescott’s father. The work confronts Colescott’s personal struggles with identity and where they come from, providing deeper context to Colescott’s broader oeuvre which challenged racist myths and satirized societal norms. With remarkable depth, 1919 offers insights into the Black American experience, capturing Colescott’s unique perspective on the complexities of race.
Bonhams is honored to present this museum-quality masterpiece by Colescott in September, following the $4.5 million sale of Colescott’s Miss Liberty (1980) in February, which was acquired by the Art Bridges Foundation.
