Skip to main content

Search

Donate

Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Timed-Entry Passes
    • Tips & Guidelines
    • Accessibility
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current Exhibitions
      • Upcoming
      • Past Exhibitions
      • Online Exhibitions
    • Today's Events
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX Films
  • Explore & Learn
    • Explore Interests
      • Art & Design
      • History & Culture
      • Science & Nature
      • Blogs
      • Mobile Apps
      • Podcasts
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Smithsonian Snapshot
    • For Educators
      • Resources
      • Field Trips
      • Events
      • Professional Development
    • For Kids and Teens
    • Youth Programs
    • For Researchers
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Freer|Sackler Archives
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries and Special Collections
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Citizen Science
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Visitor Information Specialist
      • Docent Programs
    • Fellowships & Internships
    • Work with Us
      • Human Resources
        • Working Here
        • Employee Benefits
        • Job Opportunities
        • How to Apply
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • Contact Us
      • Affiliations
      • Global Partners
  • Support
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Your Membership
    • Give Monthly
  • About
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Research Centers
    • Cultural Centers
    • Education
    • Our Leadership
      • Secretary Bunch
      • Assistant Secretary for Advancement
      • Assistant Secretary for Communications and External Affairs
      • Under Secretary for Administration
      • Under Secretary for Education
      • Under Secretary for Museums and Culture
      • Under Secretary for Science and Research
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Contact
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
      • Inspector General
        • About the OIG
        • Contact OIG
        • Office of Audits
        • Office of Investigations
        • Reports and Other Publications
        • Report Waste, Fraud, Abuse
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Records Request Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Equal Employment Office
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Special Emphasis Program
        • Supplier Diversity Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Policies and Procedures
          • Additional Resources
          • Goals and Accomplishments
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
        • One Smithsonian
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

James Brown

National Portrait Gallery

Addthis Share Tools

    • Print

Object Details

Artist
Diane Arbus, 14 Jul 1923 - 26 Jul 1971
Sitter
James Brown, 5 Mar 1933 - 25 Dec 2006
Exhibition Label
James Brown invented funk and set the standard for dynamic live performance in American music. Inspired by preachers in the black church, Brown started out singing in gospel quartets. As the "Godfather of Soul," he transmuted gospel into secular music centered in the emotional conduit of the soul singer. As "the hardest working man in show business," Brown turned ballads into virtuosic theatrical turns—falling hard on his knees, busting into splits and half spins, popping the mike to the floor and back, each move ratcheting up the song’s emotional intensity. As "Soul Brother No. 1," Brown acted as a cultural leader, writing hit songs calling for racial pride. With funk, Brown created a stripped-down, rhythmically driven aesthetic that has influenced world music from reggae to Afrobeat. Much of popular music since the 1960s comes through James Brown’s moves and grooves. Hip-hop is unimaginable without him.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
1966
Object number
NPG.2002.375
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© 1966 The Estate of Diane Arbus LLC
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image: 26.3 x 25.6cm (10 3/8 x 10 1/16")
Sheet: 35.4 x 27.8cm (13 15/16 x 10 15/16")
Mat: 55.9 x 40.6cm (22 x 16")
Place
United States\New York\Kings\New York
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Interior\Performing Arts\Concert hall
James Brown: Male
James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Songwriter
James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer\Popular
James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Dancer
James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer\Rhythm and Blues
James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Bandmaster
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.2002.375
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d116767e-f247-4779-a41c-0bcd2a0b5d17

Related Content

  • Music Anniversaries in 2018:1968: 50 years ago

    Smithsonian Music
  • James Brown: Godfather of Soul

  • Musicians as Art

    Smithsonian Music
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Press Room
  • Employment
  • Host Your Event
  • Access Smithsonian
  • EEO & Supplier Diversity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email signup form

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
Back to Top