Gus Nall facts for kids

Gus Nall (born 1919, died 1995) was an American painter. He lived and worked in the middle of the 1900s. Nall was known for his art in Chicago, Illinois, and other states like Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. His most famous painting is "Lincoln Speaks to Freedmen on the Steps of the Capital at Richmond." The state of Illinois asked him to paint it in 1963. This was to celebrate 100 years since the Emancipation Proclamation.

About Gus Nall's Life

Gus Nall was an African-American painter. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1919. When he was 21, he married Thelma Nall. Gus Nall became a well-known artist in the 1950s and 1960s. He was famous for his modern style of showing African Americans in his art.

His Art Education

Nall studied art at the Art Institute of Chicago. He also traveled to Paris to continue his art education. His work was featured in Art Gallery Magazine in 1968. This special issue was called "The Afro-American Issue." He was also mentioned in a book by Carol Myers called Black Power in the Arts.

Gus Nall's Artistic Style

Nall's paintings often showed human figures that looked stretched out. His art was influenced by styles like Cubist and Expressionist painting. He also took ideas from African art. Most of his artworks showed African Americans.

Influences and Impact

Other artists from Chicago, like Archibald Motley and Eldzier Cortor, influenced Nall's work. Gus Nall became a role model for other painters. He also inspired people who were interested in his life as an artist. The artist and writer Clarence Major looked up to Gus Nall. Nall's painting "Lincoln Speaks to Freedmen on the Steps of the Capital at Richmond" (1963) is always on display. You can see it at the DuSable Museum of African American History.

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