?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 12,000 - $ 18,000
JOHN BIGGERS (1924 - 2001) Entering the Market.
Charcoal and sanguine conte crayon on thick wove paper, circa 1980. 710x965 mm; 28x38 inches. Signed in charcoal, lower left.
Provenance: private collection.
Entering the Market is a large drawing in which, 20 years later, John Biggers revisits his legendary travels in Africa. This is a slightly different version of the drawing illustrated in Ananse: The Web of Life in Africa on p. 78, which Biggers describes as: "The stately feminine forms gliding along market lanes of Africa are remindful of how actresses and models in some other countries are taught to walk with grace and poise."
In 1957, Biggers and his wife traveled to Africa on a UNESCO grant to study Western African cultural traditions, becoming one of the first African-American artists to travel to Africa. This opportunity, which he described as 'the most significant in my life's experiences,' led to the publication of Ananse in 1962, which included 82 drawings and text based on his journeys in Ghana, Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
