Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist

An oil painting of Black people - some seated at tables, others standing - at an outdoor party under strings of lights as waiters in the background balance trays on their arms.
June 14–September 7, 2014
Second floor

Archibald John Motley Jr. (1891–1981) is one of the most significant yet least known 20th-century artists, despite the continued broad appeal of his paintings. Many of his most important portraits and cultural scenes remain in private collections and few museums have had the opportunity to acquire his work. Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist is the first retrospective of the American artist’s paintings in two decades. It introduces the artist's colorful canvases to a wider audience and reveals the rich sociological and art historical underpinnings of his work.

Archibald Motley includes 43 works spanning each period of Motley’s career, from 1919 to 1960. He was born in New Orleans, but during the first half of the 20th century he lived and worked in a predominantly white neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest side, a few miles from the city’s growing black community known as “Bronzeville.” Motley's work examines this community, carefully constructing scenes that depict Chicago’s African-American elites, but also the worlds of the recently disembarked migrants from the South and other characters commonly overlooked. Motley’s scenes of life depict a parallel existence of labor and leisure. His portraits are voyeuristic, but they are also examinations of race, gender, and sexuality. Motley did not shy away from folklore fantasies, directly addressing slavery and racism. The exhibition also features his noteworthy depictions of Jazz Age Paris and 1950s Mexico.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

Barbecue, ca. 1934

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of Black people - some seated at tables, others standing - at an outdoor party under strings of lights as waiters in the background balance trays on their arms.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

Hot Rhythm, 1961

Oil on canvas

An oil on canvas painting of Black musicians playing as scantily-clad women dance and people at tables eat and drink in the background.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

Tongues (Holy Rollers), 1929

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of a group of mostly dark-skinned people in a room, many with their hands raised and mouths open, as musicians play in front of a preacher at a podium.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

Black Belt, 1934

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of a Black people walking, riding bicycles, in cars, or seen through windows on a lively street at night.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

Mending Socks, 1924

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of an elderly Black woman with a red shawl wrapped around her shoulders seated in a chair mending a green sock; a nearby table holds a bowl of fruit, books, and sewing supplies.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

Self-Portrait (Myself at Work), 1933

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of a dark-skinned man with a goatee wearing a smock and holding a paint palette in one hand and a brush in the other standing next to a canvas.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

Blues, 1929

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of Black people dancing as musicians play in the foreground and patrons share drinks in the background.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

The Picnic, 1936

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of stylized Black people - some seated at a picnic table, some standing, some seated under a tree, others playing music - enjoying food and drink.

Archibald John Motley Jr.

The Octoroon Girl, 1925

Oil on canvas

An oil painting of a seated woman with medium-light skin tone wearing a cloche hat and a black dress with a wide red collar.

Installation Photos

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All Exhibitions

Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist is made possible by the Terra Foundation for American Art; the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor; and the Henry Luce Foundation.