Smooth-Going Cats and the Hard-Headed Goat
Thornton Dial, Sr.
American, 1928–2016

Details
Title
Smooth-Going Cats and the Hard-Headed Goat
Artist/Maker
Thornton Dial, Sr. (American, 1928–2016)
Date
1990
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
65 7/8 x 78 inches
Credit
T. Marshall Hahn Collection
Accession #
1997.61
On View
Currently not on view
The dominant red, white, and blue paint on this canvas signifies the African American struggle for justice and equality on a national scale. Two writhing cats encircle a goat, a symbol of stubborn people who stand in the way of progress. “Plenty of peoples is hard-headed, like the goat,” Thornton Dial said. “That goes for all peoples being hard-headed and not paying attention to things.” Dial created this painting during a brief period when he was experimenting with oil paint without incorporating found objects.
Image Copyright
© 2017 Estate of Thornton Dial/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York
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