Lady of the Lake
ca. 1936–39 · Oil on canvas
Dimensions : 20 1/2 x 36 in. (52.1 x 91.4 cm)
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Credit Bequest of Jane Kendall Gingrich, 1982
A self-taught artist from Pennsylvania, Pippin only started making art at the age of thirty-seven, and later became one of the most recognized African American artists in the country. Based loosely on Arthurian legend, Lady of the Lake is Pippin’s lone painting of a female nude. She appears as a sunbather at the edge of the water, sitting with her face held up to the sun and next to a log cabin that seems too small to accommodate her. The cabin, canoe, Indian-style blanket, rose trellis, bricolage planters, and the lush, mountainous landscape suggest that Pippin mined many resources he knew close to home for the composition.
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About this artwork
Lady of the Lake (ca. 1936–39) by Horace Pippin, oil on canvas, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.
About Horace Pippin
Horace Pippin (February 22, 1888 – July 6, 1946) was a self-taught American artist who painted a range of themes, including scenes inspired by his service in World War I, landscapes, portraits, and biblical subjects. Some of his best-known works address the U.S.'s history of slavery and racial segregation.
More by Horace Pippin
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