A bust of young female with her hair pulled into a bun on the back of her head.

Gwendolyn Knight (Mrs. Jacob Lawrence, 1913 - 2005)

Artist Augusta Savage (American, 1892 - 1962)

Sitter Gwendolyn Knight (American, 1913 - 2005)

Date1934-35

MediumBronze

Dimensions17 5/16 × 8 1/2 × 8 inches (44 × 21.6 × 20.3 cm)

Credit LineGift of Walter and Linda Evans

Object number2003.18

On View

On view

CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextAugusta Fells Savage was born near Jacksonville, Florida, on February 29, 1892. In 1921, Savage moved to New York City, where she began her formal art studies at Cooper Union. After securing a Julius Rosenwald Fellowship that allowed the artist to study in France for one year, Savage returned to the United States to teach art in Harlem, where she won great respect from her peers. Savage befriended and created sculpture portraits of many African American luminaries, including W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, and James Weldon Johnson. In New York City, Savage was also recognized as a teacher at the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts and the Harlem Community Center, where she influenced key artists such as Gwendolyn Knight, (depicted in this sculpture), Norman Lewis, William Artis, and Elton Fax.

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