Portrait of Richard A. Long
Beauford Delaney
American, 1901–1979

Details
Title
Portrait of Richard A. Long
Artist/Maker
Beauford Delaney (American, 1901–1979)
Date
1965
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
32 x 25 1/2 inches
Credit
Gift of Richard A. Long
Accession #
2001.9
Discouraged by the racism and prejudice against homosexuality he had experienced in the United States, Beauford Delaney settled in Paris, where his career flourished. While there, he produced this portrait of prominent Atlanta-based cultural historian Dr. Richard A. Long. As a young scholar, Long was among a circle of American expatriates that included Delaney. Delaney painted this quarter-length portrait with intense shades of yellow against a soft blue background. It is a tender portrayal of a friend that illustrates both the promise of a future unfettered by racial strife and the burgeoning talent of its young subject.
Image Copyright
© Estate of Beauford Delaney, by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator