Untitled

c. 1958

Untitled, c. 1958. Beauford Delaney (American, 1901–1979). Oil on canvas; 146.1 x 114.3 cm (57 1/2 x 45 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 2022.92 © Estate of Beauford Delaney by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY Believing in the power of color to communicate emotions and symbolize ideas, Beauford Delaney loved yellow for its associations of light, healing, and spiritual radiance. In works such as Untitled, he created a sense of happiness and uplift even when his personal circumstances were challenging. Born in the racially segregated southern United States, the artist eventually relocated to Paris during the early 1950s, hoping to live and work more freely as a queer Black man. Delaney was a very good friend and inspirational mentor to writer James Baldwin.