It started with a description on a tin of coffee: "It pairs the prismatic glory of a Florida Highwaymen painting with the integrated restraint of an Eames chair, and still tastes good with ham". I'd never heard the phrase "Florida Highwaymen", but luckily my breakfast companion was able to inform me of the fascinating history of this remarkable group of painters...
For the full story, NPR is a great place to start, with The Highwaymen: Speed-Painting In The Sunshine State and All Things Considered's The Landscape Art Legacy Of Florida's Highwaymen. In short, a young aspiring artist named Alfred Hair was taught by legendary Florida landscape painter A.E. "Beanie" Backus. This was the 1960s and Jim Crow segregation laws were heavily enforced in Florida, but Backus' studio was open to all, including his African-American protegé. Hair soon developed a speed-painting technique which allowed him to rapidly crank out landscape paintings. He taught others, who taught others, creating a (sometimes highly competitive) network of painters known as the Florida Highwaymen. They would paint all night and then sell their paintings by the side of the road during the day (segregation laws eliminated their access to galleries, of course). The paintings- done on more affordable drywall canvases- usually sold for $20 each, far more than they would be able to make at the traditional agricultural jobs available in the area.
Tragically, Hair was gunned down in 1970, and the murder of the original Highwayman shook the group deeply. Many stopped painting, but several have kept it up, including Highwaywoman Mary Ann Carroll, as well as painting salesman-turned-painter Al Black. He was incarcerated for 12 years, but according to NPR, "When it was discovered he was a Highwayman, Black was given unprecedented permission to paint murals throughout state correctional facilities...where they remain to this day." Highwaymen paintings can now fetch thousands of dollars, though sadly, that rarely helps the 18 surviving artists. It is particularly satisfying to note, however, that paintings created under the oppression of segregation laws now hang in the White House.
(Images: 1. A Step Back In Time Antiques, 2. Boston.com, from Gary Monroe's book The Highwaymen, Florida's African-American Lanscape Painters, 3. By Samuel Newton via TC Palm, 4. Jacques De Beaufort from The Highwaymen: Florida's African-American Landscape Painters, 5. By Samuel Newton via Florida Art)
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Whoa even on my computer screen these glow! Love them.
We are fans. We live north of where they were based (Fort Pierce) and only rarely see an authentic painting for sale. Plenty of faked ones abound, especially on Craigslist and eBay, so it behooves to do research or get an appraisal.
Not a lot of middle ground; one either likes or doesn't like the style but it speaks clearly of a poignant era that was both good and bad for Florida.
There are rumblings about a feature length movie (not a documentary) being made about them, which will be a must see for us.
I love a historical perspective on art, decor and design. Thanks!
This was really interesting, thanks so much!
My parents have an original hanging in their living room resembling the first one pictured here. They recently had it touched up by one of the surviving members. Very cool.
What was the coffee? That prose is a little lurid for a morning cup of joe, but maybe that's just me.
I would consider myself someone in the middle. A few of these look like Bob Ross and make me cringe. While the first and second one are sublime.
Thanks for the education AT.
Fascinating! MUCH appreciated!
I would probably walked past these paintings at a glance. But the story really made me do a double take and appreciate them so much more. After studying them a bit, you can tell the artists really did have talent. More soul to these paintings than many of the commercialized artists that crank out NASCAR tributes and ice skating ghosts.
I second this! What was the coffee?
I've read about The Florida Highwaymen paintings before from somewhere & liked a lot of the paintings I saw. I really like the last one with the palm tree above.
Very cool
loved learning about the history