Wind, Sunshine and Flowers
Alma W. Thomas
Contemporary Art
Alma W. Thomas derived her vibrant color palette and lyrical brushwork from the shapes and movement of foliage, flowers, and other natural forms. The stripes of bright pigment in Wind, Sunshine and Flowers create an engrossing effect that recalls feelings of awe inspired by nature.
For Thomas, the visual realm of natural phenomena offered a way to transcend the racial biases she experienced as a Black painter and educator in the early to mid-twentieth century. In 1972 she wrote, “Man’s highest aspirations come from nature. A world without color would seem dead. Color is life. Light is the mother of color. Light reveals to us the spirit and living soul of the world through colors.”
For Thomas, the visual realm of natural phenomena offered a way to transcend the racial biases she experienced as a Black painter and educator in the early to mid-twentieth century. In 1972 she wrote, “Man’s highest aspirations come from nature. A world without color would seem dead. Color is life. Light is the mother of color. Light reveals to us the spirit and living soul of the world through colors.”
MEDIUM
Acrylic on canvas
DATES
1968
DIMENSIONS
71 3/4 x 51 7/8 in. (182.2 x 131.8 cm) (show scale)
SIGNATURE
Lower right: "A W Thomas / '68"
INSCRIPTIONS
Verso labels:
1) "Martha Jackson Gallery/ 32 East 69 St, NY, 10021/ Alma Thomas/ Wind Sunshine and Flowers/ medium Ac/ c. size 72x52/ Date 1968"
2) "Corcoran Museum of Art/ Exhibition: Alma Thomas Retrospective/ Dates Sept 8- Oct 15, 1972/ Lender: The Artist"
COLLECTIONS
Contemporary Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
76.120
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Alma W. Thomas (American, 1891–1978). Wind, Sunshine and Flowers, 1968. Acrylic on canvas, 71 3/4 x 51 7/8 in. (182.2 x 131.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David K. Anderson, 76.120. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 76.120_PS2.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 76.120_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
© Estate of Alma W. Thomas
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