Archibald J. Motley, Jr.
1891
–1981
BirthplaceNew Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Death placeChicago, Illinois, United States of America
BiographyPainter Archibald John Motley, Jr. broke new ground in the depiction of urban American life, capturing contemporary experiences through his portraits and everyday scenes. Born in New Orleans to a railroad porter father and schoolteacher mother who was culturally Creole, Motely grew up in Chicago. Though he initially considered a career in architecture, he chose to study painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1914 to 1918. There, he earned multiple honorable mentions and gained the support of museum director Robert B. Harshe (1879-1928).
In 1918, Motley made an early impact with his article, “The Negro in Art," published in the Chicago Defender. In this essay, he called for equal opportunities for Black and White artists. A solo exhibition at New York's New Gallery in 1928 brought him recognition, and that same year, he won the Harmon Foundation's gold medal in the fine arts. In 1929-1930, on a Guggenheim Fellowship, Motley traveled to Paris, where he immersed himself in the collections at the Louvre Museum and painted the African and Caribbean expatriate communities of the city.
Back in Chicago during the 1930s, Motley often painted the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side. His joyous canvases, infused with brilliant colors, dramatic lighting, and sleek forms, mirrored the rhythms of jazz and blues music. He exhibited extensively, taught as a visiting instructor at Howard University in 1934, and completed several WPA mural commissions. After the death of his wife in 1948, he briefly worked for a company that made hand-painted shower curtains. In the 1950s, Motley traveled to Mexico twice to visit his nephew, novelist Willard Motley (1909-1965). While his output slowed in his later years, he continued to exhibit. In 1980, a year before his death, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago awarded him an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. That same year, President Carter recognized his achievements at a White House reception.
In 1918, Motley made an early impact with his article, “The Negro in Art," published in the Chicago Defender. In this essay, he called for equal opportunities for Black and White artists. A solo exhibition at New York's New Gallery in 1928 brought him recognition, and that same year, he won the Harmon Foundation's gold medal in the fine arts. In 1929-1930, on a Guggenheim Fellowship, Motley traveled to Paris, where he immersed himself in the collections at the Louvre Museum and painted the African and Caribbean expatriate communities of the city.
Back in Chicago during the 1930s, Motley often painted the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side. His joyous canvases, infused with brilliant colors, dramatic lighting, and sleek forms, mirrored the rhythms of jazz and blues music. He exhibited extensively, taught as a visiting instructor at Howard University in 1934, and completed several WPA mural commissions. After the death of his wife in 1948, he briefly worked for a company that made hand-painted shower curtains. In the 1950s, Motley traveled to Mexico twice to visit his nephew, novelist Willard Motley (1909-1965). While his output slowed in his later years, he continued to exhibit. In 1980, a year before his death, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago awarded him an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. That same year, President Carter recognized his achievements at a White House reception.