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Artist: Edouard Manet

Medium: Oil on canvas painting

Size:

The portrait, originally titled La Négresse, has since been renamed Portrait of Laure.

Laure is the Black woman who originally posed for "Olympia" being depicted as a Black servant who is ignored and cast aside while the white prostitute is seen displaying her nude body. I think this painting highlights how Black women in history are often made to feel invisible and this painting places Laure as the center of attention.

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Artist: Charles Henry Alston

Medium: Oil on canvas painting

Size: 28 × 22 in. (71.1 × 55.9 cm)

This artwork is supposed to be portraying the “New Negro” woman. The woman can be seen as beautiful and feminine, but also mysterious. The artist Charles Alston is a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and he works to change the narrative around racist stereotypes. Western culture pushes Black women to the side and tries to push us in the box of white femininity along with labeling us as the jezebel and mammy. This painting is introducing Black woman as being seen desirable and beautiful enough to have portraits and model.

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Photographer: Barba M. Watson Papers

Medium: Photograph on newspaper

Size: 8.8 in x 11 in

By the mid 50s you could find Black models in advertising campaigns directed to Black consumers. There was a shift in demand and Black models started to focus on being photogenic rather than high fashion. A lot of these models were light skin and/or white passing which just pushes Eurocentric beauty standards. During the time of World War II advertisements were trying to get away from the mammy stereotype by presenting the "glamorous Black model". A lot of Black models where used in ads like cigarettes and alcohol.

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Photographer: Baron Adolph de Meyer

Medium: Editorial photography

Size: 13 3/16 x 10 1/4 in. (33.5 x 26 cm)

Dorothea was the first Black model to break into the high-end couture fashion industry. Dorothea was described as light skinned "butter milk-colored", with a tiny waist, and platinum blonde hair. The is still around the time when Black women were breaking into the industry but a lot of them were very fair skinned and had white features. She was the first Black model to work for Christian Dior and other high end fashion houses in Paris.

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Photographer: David Bailey

Medium: Editorial photography

Size: 8.8 in x 11 in

Donyale Luna appeared on the cover of British Vogue in March 1966. Her cover marked a significant moment in the fashion industry, breaking racial barriers. Luna was known for her distinctive look and surreal, otherworldly presence, making her a trailblazer in the modeling world during the 1960s. The cover image featured her in a unique and avant-garde style, reflecting the fashion trends of the time.

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“ Naomi Sims for Ladies Home Journal” 1968

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“ Naomi Sims for Ladies Home Journal” 1968

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Photographer: Francesco Scavullo

Medium: Editorial photography

Size: 8.8 in x 11 in

Naomi Sims is known for being the first Black supermodel. Her appearance on Ladies Home Journal helped push forward the movement “Black is Beautiful”. The New York Times wrote “the publication of the first black model on the cover of Ladies’ Home Journal in November 1968 was the beginning of the Black is Beautiful movement.” She was an ambassador for Black women breaking into the modeling industry. She broke down social barriers and strived for representation of Black women in Hollywood. I understand how this can be monumental because Black women being depicted in a home magazine shows that they are desirable and can be in the wife/mother role.

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Naomi Cambell for Haper BAZAAR Titled "Wild Things" 2009                

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Naomi Cambell for Haper BAZAAR Titled "Wild Things" 2009                

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Photographer: Jean-Paul Goude

Medium: Editorial photograph

Size: N/A

Naomi Campbell did a spread in Harper’s Bazaar shot by the French photographer Jean-Paul Goude. On the first page of the spread, Naomi is seen running with a cheetah in a primitive cheetah print garb that resembles something a cavewoman would wear, commenting on her uncivilized nature as a black woman. Around this time there were a lot of advertisements involving black women and their proposed connection to the wild as dictated by someone else, usually a white man. I think their was an apparent belief that every black woman has a deep-rooted connection to the wilderness that they can never leave behind.

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Artist: Mickalene Thomas

Medium: Rhinestones, acrylic, oil, and enamel on wood panel

Size: 2.6m × 2.1m

Thomas is known for her elaborate paintings that feature African American women in bold and colorful settings. "Din, une très belle négresse" the title translates to "Din, a very beautiful black woman" in English. Thomas' work explores themes of race, gender, and sexuality. The title and content of some of Thomas' works have sparked discussions around issues of representation, identity, and the historical context of the term "négresse." Her intention is often to challenge stereotypes and present a complex and empowered vision of black womanhood.

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"Essence UnCovered: America's Beauty Queens" 2020

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"Essence UnCovered: America's Beauty Queens" 2020

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Photographer: Timothy Smith

Medium: Digital editorial photography

Size: N/A

For the first time in history, Miss America, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA are all Black women. This cover is highlighting black women in the parent space which wasn't always inclusive. This year was around the time when eurocentric beauty standards were being pushed onto Black women but at the same time our features and beauty were being emulated by other races. All the women on this cover are wearing their natural hair which is a stark difference to the 50s and 60s when Black models where only seen on covers with straight hair.