Bearden, Romare (rōmâr bĭr`dən), 1911–88, American painter and collagist, b. Charlotte, N.C. Bearden grew up in Harlem and studied at New York Univ. and the Art Students League, New York City. In his work Bearden attempted to come to terms with and universalize the experience of African Americans. Although his early work involved religious themes, his later production showed a greater connection with jazz and its relation to the art of collage, a form for which he is particularly noted. An extremely prolific artist who created some 2,000 works during his long career, Bearden is also noted for his prints in a variety of media, e.g., the lithographs in "Jazz Series" (1979). In the 1960s he was a founder of the Cinque Gallery, which was intended to help young artists, and the Spiral Group, which aided African-American artists.

Bibliography

See biography by J. Greenberg (2003); R. Fine, ed., The Art of Romare Bearden (2003).

Bearden, Romare (Howard)

(born Sept. 2, 1911, Charlotte, N.C., U.S.—died March 12, 1988, New York, N.Y.) U.S. painter. He studied at the Art Students League with George Grosz and at Columbia University. After military service in World War II, he attended the Sorbonne and traveled in Europe. During this time he achieved recognition for his complex semiabstract collages of photographs and painted paper on canvas. The narrative structure of his work is clear; aspects of African American culture, including ritual, music, and family, were his predominant themes. By the 1960s Bearden was recognized as the preeminent collagist in the U.S. He is regarded as one of the most important African American artists of the 20th century.