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C1910 Orig Art Charcoal Black Boy Johnny Griffin WHO SAID WATERMELON

C1910 Orig Art Charcoal Black Boy Johnny Griffin WHO SAID WATERMELON


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Directory: Popular Collectibles: Memorabilia: Black Americana: Pre 1920: Item # 1476028

Please refer to our stock # BA988 when inquiring.
Stonegate Antiques
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PO Box 1896
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
860-712-9565

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 $475.00 
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Offered is a circa 1910, original piece of art entitled "Who Said Watermelons". This captivating charcoal on paper portrait of a young African American boy, very much resembles the iconic, fictional figure painted by an unknown artist in the mid 1800's, a figure who has come to be known as 'Johnny Griffin' or the 'Young Black boy with the Torn Hat'.

Measuring just 7 inches wide x 9 inches high, this unsigned piece is very skillfully executed accomplishing a three-dimensional sense of depth through the expert use of light and dark, while capturing the intriguing expression on this young boy's face. Just what is he thinking?

Was this enchanting charcoal portrait completed as a study in preparation for a final, more complex piece, or was it, indeed, the final execution of a subject caught in passing?

Condition is quite fine. Note the faint trace of the artist's title for this work done in a lighter charcoal hiding behind the darker, final printing of the title. Framed in an old black wooden frame, this intriguing charcoal portrait would benefit from professional framing using archival, acid-free materials to enhance its life for many years to come.