Description
Book SynopsisAn ambitious and revelatory investigation of the black female figure in modern art, tracing the legacy of Manet through to contemporary art
Trade Review“Two decades ago, few areas of art history seemed as exhausted, if not overstudied as late-19th-century French painting. But new ideas and approaches change everything. Thus we have
Posing Modernity — the catalog to the exhibition.”—Roberta Smith,
New York Times “[a] lavish exhibition catalogue.”—David Carrier,
Hyperallergic“Often overlooked in the history of western Modernism, the black female figure was in fact central to the development of modern art. A new book by Denise Murrell
Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet to Matisse to Today (2018) reasserts the importance of these women” —
Frieze News Desk“[a] compelling and beautifully made volume”— Michele Valerie Ronnick,
caa.reviewsFinalist for the 2019 PROSE awards, art exhibitions category
Winner of the 2019 Exhibition Catalogue Award, sponsored by the Dedalus Foundation
Winner of the Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award for Smaller Museums, Libraries, Collections, and Exhibitions, sponsored by the College Art Association
“What distinguishes
Posing Modernity is its understanding of reframing beauty as black women perform it specifically for painters and photographers. It is a striking book, a remarkable read.”—Deborah Willis, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
