Oil on canvas, 1970. 1500x1156 mm; 59x45 1/2 inches. Signed and dated "70" in oil, lower right
Provenance: acquired directly from the artist; private collection, New York; thence by descent to a private collection, California.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Zell Ingram made his way to and from New York City giving puppet shows in the back of his convertible. At a young age, Ingram maintained odd jobs such as hotel porter, camp instructor and a pin boy at a bowling alley to make a living. He always dreamed of moving to New York City with his mother, who has been a strong and inspirational figure in his life. Due to their bond and her role in assisting in the escape of a man in the deep south, Ingram became very intrigued in the role of the African-American mother who experience the loss of her son due to racially motivated killings. Ingram studied at the Cleveland School of Art and the Art Students League in New York. Inspired by his mother's dedication, Ingram created Dixie Mother, which was exhibited at the Associated American Artists Galleries in New York City - the largest exhibition of Negro art at this time. At the age of 32, Ingram taught at the Cleveland theater and arts center Karamu House, and also worked as a graphic designer for The Crisis. Langston Hughes, one of the literary magazine's famous contributors, whose plays were developed and premièred at Karamu House, befriended Ingram. They traveled together throughout the Caribbean in 1931, where Ingram sketched and painted women from Haiti. In Untitled (Three Women), Ingram portrays the importance of the black woman against a backdrop that is most commonly associated with women in Greek and Roman architecture and sculpture. This is only the second painting by the artist to come to auction.
