Self Portrait 1965

Beauford Delaney painted this arresting self-portrait in an unknown year, using his signature vibrant, layered brushstrokes. Delaney was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance and later the abstract expressionist movement. This portrait captures Delaney with a cigarette, his gaze direct and challenging. The choice to portray himself in this way might be seen as an act of defiance against the stereotypical representations of Black men at the time. Delaney once said, "I believe that art...should be a bridge between people." Here, he offers us an intimate, unfiltered view of himself. The painting’s intense colors and textures convey a sense of emotional depth. Delaney’s work often explored themes of identity, race, and sexuality, filtered through his personal experiences as a Black, gay man in a deeply prejudiced society. This self-portrait reflects the complexities of self-representation and the struggle for visibility and recognition in a world that often sought to erase marginalized voices.