Thelonious Monk

Object Details

Artist

Boris Chaliapin, 22 Sep 1904 - 18 May 1979

Sitter

Thelonious Sphere Monk, 10 Oct 1917 - 17 Feb 1982

Exhibition Label

Born Rocky Mount, North Carolina

A leader of the postwar jazz revolution, Thelonious Monk—along with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker—sparked the “bebop” movement, a jazz style faster and more frenetic than the swing that had held sway since the thirties. Monk’s piano style has been called eccentric: “his melodies were angular, his harmonies full of jarring clusters.” His recording career took off in the mid-1950s, and he won an enthusiastic following, often playing with such other avant-garde musicians as John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. His compositions “Round Midnight,” “Blue Monk,” and “Epistrophy” are considered classics of modern jazz.

Collection Description

In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.

En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine

1964

Object number

NPG.78.TC596

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© Chris Murphy

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Stretcher: 53.3 x 38.1 x 2.5cm (21 x 15 x 1")

Frame: 65.4 x 49.8 x 6cm (25 3/4 x 19 5/8 x 2 3/8")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

Bravo!

On View

NPG, South Gallery 322 Mezzanine

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Headgear\Hat

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard

Costume\Dress Accessory\Feather

Costume\Dress Accessory\Tie\Necktie

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Male

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Jazz

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.78.TC596

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f03c83f2-d2f5-4f13-8f0a-3a3c1a94d8ac