Gold Leaf and Aviators: Barkley L. Hendricks Paints the Pulse of Black City Life
A man in a plaid twinset stands before a red field, tambourine in hand, sunlight glinting off his aviators—this is Barkley L. Hendricks’s Blood (Donald Formey), a portrait that hums with metropolitan cool and quiet intensity. Hendricks, born in Philadelphia in 1945, was a master of capturing the everyday glamour and individuality of Black Americans, especially those in urban settings. His paintings, now on view at The Frick, span the 1960s to the 1980s and are rich with sartorial detail, from bold jackets to carefully chosen accessories.
Hendricks didn’t just document style—he edited and elevated it, often inventing outfits or tweaking poses to reveal more about his subjects’ personalities. His use of gold leaf in works like Lawdy Mama nods to Renaissance icons, while his color choices and brushwork draw from both Old Masters and the rhythms of contemporary Black culture. The result is a conversation across centuries, where every detail—from a glimmering sweater vest to a sidelong glance—becomes a statement of presence and pride. Hendricks’s portraits don’t just reflect history; they shimmer with it.
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