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Zora Neale Hurston

National Portrait Gallery

Object Details

Artist
Carl Van Vechten, 17 Jun 1880 - 21 Dec 1964
Sitter
Zora Neale Hurston, 1891 - 28 Jan 1960
Exhibition Label
Born Notasulga, Alabama
Like the protagonist in her classic 1937 novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston was shaped by her experience in Florida. She grew up in Eatonville, one of the earliest self-governed African American towns in the United States. With a degree in anthropology, she returned to the Sunshine State to document folktales for her landmark nonfiction book, Mules and Men (1935). Hurston wrote across genres, often highlighting rural, southern Black culture.
An accomplished member of the Harlem Renaissance (c. 1918–37), the period of Black creativity and thought centered in New York City, Hurston, nevertheless, passed away with little fanfare. Alice Walker, the acclaimed author of The Color Purple (1982), was inspired by Hurston and traveled to Florida. Upon finding her gravesite damaged and unmarked, Walker purchased a headstone proclaiming Hurston “A Genius of the South.”
Nacida en Notasulga, Alabama
Al igual que la protagonista de su ya clásica novela de 1937, Sus ojos miraban a Dios, Zora Neale Hurston se vio influida por sus experiencias en Florida. Creció en Eatonville, uno de los primeros pueblos afroamericanos con gobierno propio en EE.UU. Ya graduada de antropología, regresó a Florida a fin de documentar leyendas para su trascendental libro de no ficción, Mulas y hombres (1935). Hurston abordó diversos géneros, destacando la cultura rural negra del sur del país.
Pese a ser una distinguida integrante del Renacimiento de Harlem (c. 1918–37), época de auge creativo afroamericano centrado en Nueva York, la muerte de Hurston pasó si gran pompa. Alice Walker, aclamada autora de El color púrpura (1982) y admiradora de Hurston, viajó a Florida y buscó su tumba. Al encontrarla deteriorada y sin identificar, encargó una lápida que declara a Hurston “un genio del sur”.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
1935 (printed 1983)
Object number
NPG.83.188.24
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
1935 negative © Carl Van Vechten Trust
Gravure and compilation ©The Eakins Press Foundation
Type
Photograph
Medium
Photogravure
Dimensions
Image: 22.6 × 15 cm (8 7/8 × 5 7/8")
Sheet: 55.8 × 35.6 cm (21 15/16 × 14")
Mat: 61 × 40.7 cm (24 × 16")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
The Struggle for Justice Refresh
On View
NPG, West Gallery 220
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Jewelry\Necklace
Interior
Costume\Headgear\Hat
Costume\Dress Accessory\Belt
Zora Neale Hurston: Female
Zora Neale Hurston: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer\Novelist
Zora Neale Hurston: Arts and Culture\Education and Scholarship\Scholar\Folklorist
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.83.188.24
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d9dfd216-bc9a-427f-aeff-9d1d2711ad70
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.
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