Romare Bearden : Paris Blues: Painting Jazz
Regular price £37.00'Long overlooked, the Paris Blues series emerges here as a vital expression of Bearden’s lifelong engagement with jazz and the African American experience, offering fresh insight into one of the most influential artists of the 20th century' — Forbes Life
A richly illustrated book exploring Berarden's rarely seen series of jazz-infused collages and the artist’s lifelong relationship to jazz music
Bearden (1911–1988) was a prominent African American artist often described as the consummate jazz painter, known for his innovative collages that explored themes of Black American culture, history, and personal experiences. This publication reexamines Bearden’s life and work in the context of jazz, tracing the musician’s impact from the artists’ earliest oil paintings to his iconic collages.
In 1981, Bearden created nineteen collages that the artist called his “Paris Blues,” or simply “Jazz,” series. Conceived as pages for an oversized book that would be a response to the Hollywood movie Paris Blues (1961)—though featuring Harlem and New Orleans along with Paris—the series has been little known until now. Here the wildly colorful illustrations are set alongside Bearden’s encounters with iconic jazz musicians, clubs, and cities.
Examined for the first time in depth, the Paris Blues series makes a major statement on the relationships between visual art, jazz music, and urban spaces. The book also includes poignant photographs of Bearden and musicians in the 1950s–70s, such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.
Details
- Author: Robert G. O'Meally
- Hardcover: 132 pages | 85 colour and black and white illustrations
- Language: English
- Publication date: March 2026
- ISBN: 9780847876259
- Product Dimensions: 30.5 x 24.9 cm
