Florence B. Smithburn Sketchbooks, Mid-20th Century

Item Details

Florence Bartley Smithburn (American, 1904 – 1989)
Four sketchbooks with mostly nude figure studies and portraits, mid-20th century
Graphite, charcoal, and conté crayon on paper
Artist’s name inscribed to the cover of each book

Smithburn studied art the the John Herron Art School in Indianapolis, Indiana, before moving to Uganda for ten years where she portrayed the African tribal way of life with her artwork. Her experiences living in Africa and the United States ultimately shaped her artistic oeuvre, as her art continued to address socio-economic and political issues relevant to the times. Her work has been exhibited widely in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Atlanta, New York and Indianapolis and has been included in the collections of the Georgia Museum of Art and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Condition

- sketches to almost all pages of each book; major toning throughout; embrittlement to pages with edge loss; smudging across all media and transfer to verso of pages; binding loose with some pages falling out; tears and loss to the edges of sheets; tears, abrasions, and wear to the covers and spines.

Dimensions

- measures one book.

Item #

ITMG273784