Romare Bearden

Sheldon Ross Gallery, Birmingham

Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 1984

"It sounds kind of mystical: sometimes I do a collage and make a setting and the people just seem to come in; some will stand and some will sit — almost everyone knows where they’re going."

– Romare Bearden, "Inscription at the City of Brass: An Interview with Romare Bearden," 1988

Executed in 1980, Romare Bearden’s Encore exemplifies the artist’s signature collage, with bold geometric forms and strikingly vibrant color. With one hand across her chest and the other curving gracefully along her side, the subject of Encore evokes the image of the entrancing female blues singers of the Jazz Age. 

Regarded as one of the most innovative and important African American artists of the 20th century, Romare Bearden is best known for his powerful depictions of the black American experience. While he began his artistic career as a painter, Bearden began creating his most original and visually arresting works at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, with collage as his principal medium. Featuring images of Harlem life infused with memories of the American south, Bearden’s pieces are concerned with archetypal themes of ritual, music and family. Bearden’s Jazz Series, of which Encore forms part, marks one such cultural exploration.  

Encore strikes a balance between the complex and simplified application of collage. Details such as the multicolored border, the crimson tongues of fabric draped from the subject’s arm, and the jeweled accessories stand in stark contrast to the smooth lines of the shapes which make up the background. With an eye-catching rainbow of stripes making up her gown and the oversized jewel on her ring finger, the eye is drawn to the glamor of the subject as she stands singing on stage. With the sweeping curtain the left of the canvas set back from the figure, the singer is the center of attention, allowing the viewer to be taken in by the same mystique that surrounded the iconic performances of the Jazz Age.