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"Bowl of Zinnias"
Clementine Hunter's First Oil Painting |
The Secret
Paintings of Clementine Hunter - Part 5
A
landmark event for Clementine Hunter
The 1952
Exhibition at the Saturday Gallery in St. Louis --
An exhibition of her work in a prestigious art gallery arranged
by a world-famous photographer working under the auspices of
the Library of Congress |
Detail from the program
at the Saturday Gallery in 1952.
Click for full listing
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Label from the frame
in which "Bowl of Zinnias" was exhibited
Clementine Hunter's "Bowl of Zinnias" was first publicly
exhibited at the Saturday Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri on November
17, 1952. This show was arranged by Clarence John Laughlin: photographer,
writer, and researcher. His masterpiece, "Ghosts Along The
Mississippi - The Magic Old Houses of Louisiana" and the
photographs reproduced in "Haunter of Ruins"-- are
testimony to his artistry and to his meticulous research. Laughlin,
who was working at the time under the auspices of the Library
of Congress, organized the Saturday Gallery exhibition through
arrangements with Clementine Hunter and Francois Mignon. Several
owners of early works of Clementine's, including Mr. Jack's grandmother,
Blythe Rand, donated paintings for sale in the exhibition. The
program notes for the Saturday Gallery exhibition were written
by Clarence John Laughlin and may be seen in full below. Whitfield
Jack , Jr. describes the events at the time as follows:
"I was
sixteen years old at the time of the exhibition. The news that
a famous photographer working for the Library of Congress was
going to show some of Clementine's pictures in an important art
gallery in St. Louis, Missouri was quite exciting.
Clementine's
painting of the "Bowl of Zinnias" had hung over the
old two-door refrigerator in my grandmother's kitchen for as
long as I can remember. The hammered copper pitcher (the 'bowl')
in which the zinnias had been painted sat on a marble-topped
sideboard near the painting. I liked to call it "the pitcher
in the picture" and thought my remark was very funny indeed.
I am sure that my grandmother was happy to donate the painting
of the "Bowl of Zinnias" and a somewhat later painting
called "Milking Time" for the exhibition. She and Clementine
had been friends for many years and she had helped Clementine
get started. As it was, neither of the paintings were sold, and
both were returned to Clementine and subsequently to my grandmother.
I always wondered how Clementine felt about nobody buying the
paintings, but down deep I was relieved that they had come back,
because they had been around just about forever. I think Clementine
probably was glad, too. She had always told me the "Bowl
of Zinnias" painting was "her first and her favorite"
and she was very close to my grandmother.
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Complete Program
Notes and Other Important Information
about Clementine Hunter's First Oil Painting, "Bowl of Zinnias"
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The complete program from the Saturday Gallery exhibition. |
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Clarence John Laughlin -Photographer, Writer, Researcher. (Photo
by Jonathan Williams) |
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Label from the frame in which "Bowl of Zinnias" was
exhibited |
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Penciled inscription on
front of painting just to left of bottom of copper pot |
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Back of painting showing penciled notation probably
by Francois Mignon |
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Penciled inscription on
back of painting -- source and date unknown |
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Original article from "Look" Magazine showing Clementine
and "Bowl of Zinnias" |
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Short biography and
comments about
Clementine's art written
by Laughlin in 1952 |
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"Milking Time"
one of several rare, early Clementine Hunter paintings owned
by the Jack family. |
Go
to The Secret Paintings of Clementine Hunter - Part 6
Secrets Index
Vignettes of Melrose by Whitfield Jack, Jr.
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