Do-Rag Brother

Object Details

Created by

Vincent Dacosta Smith, American, 1929 - 2004

Caption

Vincent Smith was best known for his skill in depicting the complex dynamics of race, resistance, and power during the turbulent decades of the 1960s and 1970s. This painting engages some of the era’s most salient social and political issues. The primary figure casually leans against a wall covered with graffiti phrases such as Vietnam, Black Power, and Soul Brother. The do-rag is a version of a headscarf used primarily by African American men at night to smooth kinky hair and create a wavy, more European texture. Smith’s decision to paint this man wearing a do-rag and surrounded by political terms suggests some of the many pressures faced by black men with regard to issues of patriotism, racial and economic injustice, self-empowerment, and black pride.

Description

This painting depicts two figures against a wall. The left side of the painting features a figure wearing a red shirt and green cap. A second figure with a goatee is shown in profile in the bottom right corner of the painting. The background of the painting is red and grey with words written in black. Some of the words in the background are "LATER", "SOUL BROTHER", "BLACK POWER", and "Vietnam". Written in black in the top right corner of painting is the signature "VINCENT/6/9."

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

1968

Object number

2014.130.1

Restrictions & Rights

© Estate of Vincent DaCosta Smith, Courtesy Alexandre Gallery, New York

Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

Type

oil paintings

Medium

oil and sand on linen

Dimensions

H x W (painting): 29 1/2 × 24 in. (74.9 × 61 cm)

H x W (frame): 31 × 25 1/4 × 1 1/2 in. (78.7 × 64.1 × 3.8 cm)

Place made

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Visual Arts

Movement

Black Power (Black Pride)

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American

Art

Men

U.S. History, 1961-1969

Urban life

Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Record ID

nmaahc_2014.130.1

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5e2ca92e1-4607-408c-a6a1-af741283b077