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Family by Romare Bearden
Photo CreditCarol M. Highsmith Photography
Family
Photo CreditCarol M. Highsmith Photography

Family

Year1989
Classification architectural arts
Medium glazed ceramic tile
Dimensions144 x 120 in. (365.8 x 304.8 cm)
Credits Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
  • For this glazed ceramic-tile mural, Romare Bearden used bold shapes and vibrant colors to depict a multi-generational family scene.  The subject of this mural was inspired by the artist's fond recollections of his childhood, especially his visits from New York City to his grandparents' home in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the 1920s.  The figures' overlapping arms and embracing hands convey a sense of tenderness.  The grandfather's outward gaze welcomes us, the viewers, into the family circle.