Ellis Wilson (American/Kentucky, 1899-1977), "Colonnade, Promenade", c. 1952, oil on masonite, signed lower left, 24.5in. x 37.5in. E25000 35000 Provenance: Gift of the artist, to his close friend James Ligon Note: The monetary prize from the Miami Terry Art Institute in 1952 gave Ellis Wilson the financial means to visit Haiti to paint. Many African American artists and writers during the mid 20th century had been drawn to Haiti, the first black republic in the New World. On the island, Wilson was influenced by the bright colors, straightforward lyrical quality and flattened perspective of indigenous Haitian art. The important painting, "Colonade, Promenade" silhouettes groups of people as they intermingle to buy and sell the wares that many of them carry in baskets and boxes on their heads. Reference: illustrated in The Art of Ellis Wilson, exhibition catalogue, The University of Press of Kentucky, no. 24, page 48 in.