The Blue Tiger

On Monday we celebrated International Cat Day; now it is time for a wild cat!  :)

Horace Pippin was the first African American self-taught artist to receive national acclaim. In spite of an injury to his right arm during World War I, he never abandoned painting.

Pippin depicted everyday events and historical figures, often connecting the U.S.'s history of slavery, racial segregation, and religious themes using a simplified style of flat shapes and strong colors. In the American popular press of the 1910s and 1920s, the blue tiger was a recurring symbol of the unattainable, and the black bear signified the wilderness. The tiger and bear, rendered in contrasting tones, seem equally ferocious. With their impending clash, Pippin may be alluding to racial conflict.

P.S. Read the incredible story of how art saved Horace Pippin's life!

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