Untitled (Black Elephant with a Brown Ear)
Folk and Self-Taught Art

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Untitled (Black Elephant with a Brown Ear)
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Bill Traylor
American, 1854–1949
American, 1854–1949
Date
ca. 1939–1940
Medium
Poster paint and pencil on paper
Accession #
1997.113
Dimensions
Please contact the Museum for more information.
Location
Currently Not on View
Description
Traylor’s dynamic use of line is eloquent in the subtle dorsal curve of an elephant. Supple undulations add energy to this portrait of a calm but powerful beast. The repetition of ovals in the bulbous tail tip and feet establishes a rhythm that is interrupted by the color of the dainty oval ear, whose startling brownness draws the viewer’s eye into contact with that of the animal.