A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of his Former Self

The composition of the painting places the artist at the center of the canvas, creating a sense of isolation, as the figure stands against a blank or neutral backdrop. The figure's outline can be overlooked just as Black artists have often been overlooked or marginalized in the art world. However, the eyes and teeth remain bold and bright white suggesting a resilient comeuppance of Black art recognition and the artists own personal power. The missing tooth given the themes of marginalization represents a visual metaphor for the ways in which African American artists have been "lost" or "erased" from art history.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self by Kerry James Marshall 1980, Egg tempera on paper.

This piece was created in 1980, during a period of heightened awareness around issues of race and representation in the United States, particularly in art and culture. While the Civil Rights Movement had been headed towards exponentially changing the foundation for Black people in America there were still significant social and political challenges. Marshall’s work speaks to the tensions of that time with one of the dominant themes in this piece being the erasure of Black identity in Western art. The shadowy figure is a visual metaphor for how Black artists have historically been left out of the mainstream art narrative. Marshall himself, as a young artist, was aware of the absence of Black artists in the Western canon and used this piece to reflect that frustration. This piece also explores the complexity of racial identity. The shadow obscures the artist’s face, suggesting that his Black identity, is hidden or suppressed in the art world, a theme that can still be found under systemic and systematic racism today.

Marshall, Kerry James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self. 1980, American. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/668284