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Sister Tuesday

A work made of painted poplar.

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  • A work made of painted poplar.

Date:

1934

Artist:

Leslie G. Bolling (American, 1898–1958)

About this artwork

Sister Tuesday is one of a series of seven sculptures by self-taught artist Leslie Bolling; each one is a sensitive rendition of the daily labors of Black men and women. He hand carved figures in soft poplar wood, here adding gold pigment to suggest the metallic surface of bronze. Although he considered his practice a hobby, Bolling’s work drew the attention of art world critics and patrons of the Harlem Renaissance. He exhibited throughout the 1930s, and in 1938 helped found and taught at the Craig House Art Center. The center was a New Deal–funded community organization in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and the only one in the segregated South open to Black Americans.

Status

On View, Gallery 161

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Leslie G. Bolling

Title

Sister Tuesday

Place

United States (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1934

Medium

Painted poplar

Inscriptions

Titled recto, bottom-left, incised: "Sister Tuesday". Signed and dated verso, bottom-right, incised: "L.G. Bolling/3-10-34".

Dimensions

30.4 × 19.4 × 12.9 cm (12 × 7 11/16 × 5 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Through prior acquisition of the George F. Harding Collection; purchased with funds provided by Charles C. Haffner III

Reference Number

2009.582

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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