Lullaby
Date1992
MediumOffset lithograph
DimensionsImage: 21 3/16 × 30 inches (53.8 × 76.2 cm)
Sheet: 21 13/16 × 30 inches (55.4 × 76.2 cm)
Matted: 32 × 40 inches (81.3 × 101.6 cm)
MarkingsStamp on the back bottom left corner
Credit LineMuseum purchase in honor of Courtney McNeil with Telfair Museum of Art acquisitions endowment funds.
Object number2021.7.4
Copyright© 2023 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
The 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 TextBorn in Barbados—an island marked by its history of European colonization and the Atlantic slave trade—Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence moved to the United States as a teenager. Mentored by Augusta Savage, a sculptor known for her realistic, expressive depictions of Black figures, Lawrence remained committed throughout her career to representational art that explored her West African heritage and depicted the culture, history, and everyday lives of African Americans.
Many of these trajectories are reflected in this portrait of a mother cradling her child beneath her chin. Reminiscent of African sculpture, most often carved from wood, the figures appear monumental and weighty. The size of the mother’s hands and the solid block that form her lower body magnify and convey, in the artist’s words, themes of “motherhood, nostalgia, and intimacy.” By choosing colors such as deep greens, burgundy, and accents of yellow, Lawrence evokes the warmth and comfort of this private moment, which she isolates in a nondescript setting, emphasizing its universality.
Text written for 'Contemporary Spotlight: New Acquisitions from the Brandywine Workshop' on view February 4 - May 1, 2022.
