Imagine how difficult it is for anyone to be an artist, then add the obstacles created by systemic racism and race prejudice, and you may get some idea of how difficult it must be to become a successful African-American artist. I collected multiple lists of the best black American or African-American artists and combined them into one meta-list. The results are below: every African-American artist on at least three of the original source lists, along with a sampling of some of their work. The artists are presented in chronological order by date of birth.
1. Joshua Johnson (c. 1763-c. 1824). Painter.
Grace Allison McCurdy and Her Daughters (1806) National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
The Westwood Children (1807) National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
John Jacob Anderson and His Sons (1812-15) Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY.
2. Robert S. Duncanson (1821-1872). Painter.
Uncle Tom and Little Eva (1853). Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan.
Loch Long (1867). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream (1871). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
3. Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828-1901). Painter.
Newspaper Boy (1869). Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
Driving Home the Cows (1881). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Boston Street Scene (1898-99). Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD.
4. Edmonia Lewis (1845-1911). Sculptor.
The Old Arrow Maker (model 1866, carved 1872). Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Forever Free (1867). Howard University Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
The Death of Cleopatra (1876). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
5. Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937). Painter.
The Thankful Poor (1894). Private collection.
The Banjo Lesson (1903). Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den (1907-18) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA.
6. James Van der Zee (1886-1983). Photographer.
Evening Attire (1922).
Studio Portrait of Young Man with Telephone (1929).
Harlem Couple (1932).
7. Horace Pippin (1888-1946). Painter.
The Ending of the War, Starting Home (1930-33). Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA.
Interior (1944). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Self-Portrait II (1944). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
8. Alma Thomas (1891-1978). Painter.
Iris, Tulips, Jonquils and Crocuses (1969). National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
Atmospheric Effects II (1971). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Fiery Sunset (1973), Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
9. Augusta Savage (1892-1962). Sculptor.
Gamin (1929-30). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Gwendolyn Knight (1934-35). Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA.
Lift Every Voice and Sing (“The Harp”) (1939). Destroyed.
10. Aaron Douglas (1899-1979). Painter and illustrator.
Defiance (illustration from Emperor Jones) (1926).
The Negro in an African Setting (from Aspects of Negro Life) (1934). Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York, NY.
The Judgement Day (1939). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
11. Charles Henry Alston (1907-1977). Painter, sculptor and illustrator.
Modern Medicine (1936). Harlem Hospital, New York, NY.
Painting (1950). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
The Family (1955). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY.
12. Romare Bearden (1911-1988). Painter, collagist, multi-media artist and songwriter.
Golgotha (1945). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
Patchwork Quilt (1970). Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
The Piano Lesson (Homage to Mary Lou) (print) (1983-84).
13. Gordon Parks (1912-2006). Photographer, musician, writer and film director.
American Gothic (1942).
Untitled (Harlem, New York) (1947).
Muhammad Ali (1966).
14. Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). Painter.
The Migration Series, Panel No. 3 (1940-41). Museum of Modern Art, NY/Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
The Shoemaker (1945) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
In a free government, the security of civil rights must be the same as that for religious rights… (1976). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
15. Benny Andrews (1930-2006). Painter, printmaker, and collagist.
Flag Day (1966). Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Down the Road (1971). Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NY.
Juke Joint (1998). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
16. Faith Ringgold (1930- ). Painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, performance artist and writer.
American People Series #20: Die (1967). Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
Street Story Quilt (1988). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
Women on a Bridge #1: Tar Beach (1998). Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY.
17. Sam Gilliam (1933- ). Painter, sculptor, and mixed media artist.
Red Petals (1967). Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
Swing (1969). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Solar Canopy (1986). York College, City University of New York, New York, NY.
18. Carrie Mae Weems (1953- ) Mixed media artist (photography, fabric, audio, video, digital images).
Untitled (Man Smoking) (1990).
From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried (portion) (prints) (1995-96).
The Louisiana Project (portion) (2003).
19. Kerry James Marshall (1955- ). Painter, sculptor, printmaker, and mixed media artist.
Untitled (La Venus Negra) (print) (1992).
Supermodel (1994). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.
School of Beauty, School of Culture (2012). Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA.
20. Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). Painter, draftsman, graffiti artist, street artist.
Irony of Negro Policeman (1981). Private collection.
Untitled (History of the Black People) (1983).
Glenn (1984). Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
21. Lorna Simpson (1960- ). Photographer and mixed media artist.
Untitled (Two Necklines) (print) (1989). Various locations, including National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Wigs (21 lithographs on felt with labels) (1994). Various locations, including Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
Ice 5 (2018).
22. Kara Walker (1969- ). Painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, and filmmaker.
The End of Uncle Tom and the Grand Allegorical Tableau of Eva in Heaven (1995).
A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby… (2014). Temporary installation, Domino Plant, Brooklyn, NY.
Christ’s Entry into Journalism (2017). Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY.
23. Kehinde Wiley (1977- ). Painter.
Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps (2005). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY.
John, 1st Baron Byron (2013). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.
President Barack Obama (2018). National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.