African Americana

7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (visible), framed to 12 x 14 in. Housed in gilt wood frame with brown felt liner (slight abrasions to frame, small splat of brown on canvas near center left). Signed by the artist "Annie Lee '83" near bottom right. Provenance: The estate of Lerone Bennett, Jr.

Annie Frances Lee was an American artist known for her depictions of the everyday lives of African Americans. Born in Alabama, Lee was raised in Chicago attending Wendell Phillips High School on the South Side. Though she demonstrated early talent as an artist and was offered a four year scholarship to attend Northwestern University, Lee opted instead to marry and raise a family. Her career began in ernest around the age of 40. Painting in a style sometimes referred to as "Black Americana," Lee's work reflected her own experiences as well as her observations about the lives of those living in communities around her. Her trademarks were expressive use of body language and faces painted without features. This painting, like so many of Lee's artworks, features a woman as its centerpiece.

By the time of her death, Lee owned her own gallery and had achieved international recognition for her artwork. Though her work came to prominence decades ago after being featured on the television shows "ER" and "A Different World" as well as in the movies "Coming to America" and "Boomerang," Lee's art continues to resonate. Her most famous painting, "Blue Monday," was re-created by the Grammy-winning artist Lizzo in December 2022 on "Saturday Night Live."