Betye Saar. Anticipation. 1961

Betye Saar Anticipation 1961

  • Not on view

One of Saar’s few early experiments with screenprinting, Anticipation depicts the artist pregnant with her third child. The seated female figure, holding flowers, recalls Western religious imagery of the Virgin Mary, but Saar captures both the joy of impending birth and the exhaustion of pregnancy. If her back is straight and her gaze serene, her body is heavy as she finds a moment of calm. Anticipation also shows Saar’s interest in exploring different textures and patterns in her printed work, from the wall she rests against to her richly colored dress.

Gallery label from Betye Saar: The Legends of Black Girl’s Window, October 21, 2019–January 4, 2020
Medium
Screenprint
Dimensions
composition (irreg.): 18 1/8 × 14 7/16" (46.1 × 36.7 cm); sheet: 21 11/16 × 16 15/16" (55.1 × 43.1 cm)
Publisher
Betye Saar, Los Angeles
Printer
Betye Saar, Los Angeles
Edition
planned edition of 15, 13 known impressions
Credit
The Candace King Weir Endowment for Women Artists
Object number
1163.2018
Department
Drawings and Prints

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