Native Son

1938

Not on view

Prints became a popular art form in the 1930s during the Great Depression in the United States. Artists like Smith exploited the expressionist power of such techniques as woodcutting and linoleum cutting, carving deep furrows into the print block to create stark contrasts of black and white. One of several African American printmakers who gathered around the Karamu House in Cleveland, Smith often depicted urban scenes of poverty and struggle. Here, a young African American man leans against a city wall, perhaps in contemplation. In calling him a "native son" of the country, Smith asserts the centrality of African Americans in the history and culture of the nation. The term would gain particular popularity two years later with the publication of Richard Wright's novel Native Son (1940).

Artwork Details

Title: Native Son
Artist: William E. Smith (American, 1913–1997)
Date: 1938
Medium: Linocut
Edition: 2/32
Dimensions: 15 11/16 × 7 3/4 in. (39.9 × 19.7 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 1999
Object Number: 1999.529.148
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

By William E. Smith

In the same medium

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Poverty and Fatigue, William E. Smith American, Linocut — Poverty and Fatigue
William E. Smith
1940

War Fatigue, William E. Smith American, Linocut — War Fatigue
William E. Smith
1940

The Lamppost, William E. Smith American, Linocut — The Lamppost
William E. Smith
1938

AIDSGATE, Silence = Death Project American, Color lithograph — AIDSGATE
Silence = Death Project
1987

Home is a Foreign Place, Zarina American, born India, Portfolio of 36 woodcut, printed chine collé with pen and black ink on paper — Home is a Foreign Place
Zarina
1999

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