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Amy Sherald: American Sublime
- GenresArtNonfiction
158 pages, Hardcover
Published November 26, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 14, 2026
I want to talk about the outfits, but first we have to step back and understand the dimensions of the project Amy Sherald has undertaken in the exhibition “American Sublime,” which I saw at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
The paintings, great flat expanses of color, feel monumental, both in the exhibition and in the catalog. Sherald’s aim is to recast “American myths and tropes … with Black figures in archetypal roles — The Cowboy, The Beauty Queen, The Girl Next Door, The Farmer — making Black American stories The American Story,” writes Sarah Roberts, director of painting at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Roberts’s catalog essay can be dense, but it provides an insightful analysis of Sherald’s techniques and influences. “Sherald’s strategy of portraying unnamed figures in imagined narratives with evocative, open-ended titling makes her works accessible, even universal.”
Other catalog essayists reference the idea of Afrofuturism, portraying a time when African Americans simply inhabit the world, without the weight of White expectations or biases.
Sherald not only photographs her models, but dresses them as well. The contrast is striking. The models are serious and still, for the most part gazing out directly at the viewer. Their clothes, by contrast, are bold and bright, often with striking graphic shapes. All set against a uniform monochromatic background.
Exuberance and solemnity fuse, as if an Olmec sculpture had been draped in a colorful beach towel. One of my favorites is the patterned sweater worn by “A Single Man in Possession of a Good Fortune, 2019.”
For sheer composition, however, nothing can equal the man seated on a green building girder — “If You Surrendered to the Air, You Could Ride It, 2019” — or the farmer atop his John Deere tractor, “A God Blessed Land (Empire of Dirt), 2022.”
If I had one quibble, it’s that no one smiles or laughs. Smiling would be inappropriate in many of the paintings, but what about the teenage boys at the beach with girls astride their shoulders? It’s a beautiful day. Shouldn’t someone cracking up or teasing someone else (“Precious Jewels by the Sea, 2019”)?
Apart from the striking clothes, Sherald often advances the imagined stories with the enigmatic objects they carry: a leather pony head, live rabbit, sailing ship model, oversized coffee cup, rag doll, party balloons, fish, camera.
Contemplate those figures and faces in a world both familiar and alternative — and imagine a time of boundlessness. An American sublime.
The paintings, great flat expanses of color, feel monumental, both in the exhibition and in the catalog. Sherald’s aim is to recast “American myths and tropes … with Black figures in archetypal roles — The Cowboy, The Beauty Queen, The Girl Next Door, The Farmer — making Black American stories The American Story,” writes Sarah Roberts, director of painting at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Roberts’s catalog essay can be dense, but it provides an insightful analysis of Sherald’s techniques and influences. “Sherald’s strategy of portraying unnamed figures in imagined narratives with evocative, open-ended titling makes her works accessible, even universal.”
Other catalog essayists reference the idea of Afrofuturism, portraying a time when African Americans simply inhabit the world, without the weight of White expectations or biases.
Sherald not only photographs her models, but dresses them as well. The contrast is striking. The models are serious and still, for the most part gazing out directly at the viewer. Their clothes, by contrast, are bold and bright, often with striking graphic shapes. All set against a uniform monochromatic background.
Exuberance and solemnity fuse, as if an Olmec sculpture had been draped in a colorful beach towel. One of my favorites is the patterned sweater worn by “A Single Man in Possession of a Good Fortune, 2019.”
For sheer composition, however, nothing can equal the man seated on a green building girder — “If You Surrendered to the Air, You Could Ride It, 2019” — or the farmer atop his John Deere tractor, “A God Blessed Land (Empire of Dirt), 2022.”
If I had one quibble, it’s that no one smiles or laughs. Smiling would be inappropriate in many of the paintings, but what about the teenage boys at the beach with girls astride their shoulders? It’s a beautiful day. Shouldn’t someone cracking up or teasing someone else (“Precious Jewels by the Sea, 2019”)?
Apart from the striking clothes, Sherald often advances the imagined stories with the enigmatic objects they carry: a leather pony head, live rabbit, sailing ship model, oversized coffee cup, rag doll, party balloons, fish, camera.
Contemplate those figures and faces in a world both familiar and alternative — and imagine a time of boundlessness. An American sublime.
February 12, 2026
Amy Sherald is notable in the field of Black portraiture. In 2019 she was commissioned to paint the official portrait of Michelle Obama for the National Gallery of Art. You can see this painting on p. 101.
In the “Forward” Christopher Bedford, Director of the San Francisco Museum of Art and overseer of the 2014 show of Amy Sherald’s work, says, the show reflects the museum’s shift from “telling a 'stylistic history' in favor of creating a social history that is centered on people and resonates with the broadest possible audience”.
The forward is followed by 5 essays. The first is by Sarah Roberts, also of SFMOMA who is responsible for this publication. She discusses the meaning of “sublime” and how it describes “emotional magnitude” be it “terror” “awe” or “boundlessness”. She notes there is a “racial sublime” which Sherald explores by creating Black portraits with White tropes. This essay covers the influences on Sherald’s content and style and gives background on some of the works in the book.
There are 4 other essays
• Deborah Willis quotes Sherald on her works and includes Sherald’s Vanity Fair cover for their feature on the death of Breonna Taylor.
• Elizabeth Alexander, a poet, develops the theme of “American Sublime” through poetry.
• Rhea Combs discusses the technical aspects of Sherald’s work, quotes from Sherald and points out aspects of some of the pictures in the book.
• Dario Calamese has the most biographical information in the book. Sherald has had a heart transplant!
Every plate (there are over 50 of them) is a highlight. All are full body. It is said that the size is just short of actual life size. Most subjects stand and stare at you. They are neither happy nor sad. It is as though they are just going about their everyday life.
Very few of the subjects are in a room or outdoor setting. Most have a background of solid or textured color. This sets off their clothing which is painted flat (not with draped shading) that give a paper doll effect.
Each portrait has a personality expressed by the subject’s stance and clothing. A few have props like a fishing pole, a rabbit, balloons or a tea cup.
Published by Yale University, this is a beautifully designed book. Care has been taken with the reproductions in focus and color. The paper is well selected somewhere between matte and gloss and the weight is such that there is no bleeding, but the book is light enough to hold while reading. The tips of the pages that you see when the pages are on their sides are a modern version of marbling.
This is a great addition to anyone’s coffee table or any collection of American Art.
Amy Sherald is notable in the field of Black portraiture. In 2019 she was commissioned to paint the official portrait of Michelle Obama for the National Gallery of Art. You can see this painting on p. 101.
In the “Forward” Christopher Bedford, Director of the San Francisco Museum of Art and overseer of the 2014 show of Sherald’s work says, shows reflects the museum’s shift from “telling a “stylistic history in favor of creating a social history that is centered on people and resonates with the broadest possible audience”.
The forward is followed by 5 essays. The first is by Sarah Roberts, also of SFMOMA who is responsible for this publication. She discusses the meaning of “sublime” and how it describes “emotional magnitude” be it “terror” “awe” or “boundlessness”. She notes there is a “racial sublime” which Serald explores by creating Black portraits with White tropes. This essay covers the influences on Sherald’s content and style and gives background on some of the works in the book.
There are 4 other essays
• Deborah Willis quotes Sherald on her works and includes Sherald’s Vanity Fair cover on the death of Breonna Taylor.
• Elizabeth Alexander, a poet, develops the theme of “American Sublime” through poetry.
• Rhea Combs discusses the technical aspects of Sherald’s work, quotes from Sherald and points out aspects of some of the pictures in the book.
• Dario Calamese has the most biographical information in the book. Sherald has had a heart transplant!
Every plate (there are over 50 of them) is a highlight. All are full body, it is said that the size is just short of actual life size. Most subjects stand and stare at you. They are neither happy nor sad. It is as though they are just going about their everyday life.
Very few of the subjects are in a room or outdoor setting. Most have a background of solid or textured color. This sets off their clothing which is painted flat (not with draped shading) that give a paper doll effect.
Each portrait has a personality expressed by the subject’s stance and clothing. A few have props like a fishing pole, a rabbit, balloons or a tea cup.
Published by Yale University, this is a beautifully designed book. The paper is well selected somewhere between matte and gloss and the weight is such that there is no bleeding, but the book is light enough to hold while reading. The tips of the pages that you see when the pages are on their sides are a modern version of marbling.
This is a great addition to anyone’s coffee table or any collection of American Art.
In the “Forward” Christopher Bedford, Director of the San Francisco Museum of Art and overseer of the 2014 show of Amy Sherald’s work, says, the show reflects the museum’s shift from “telling a 'stylistic history' in favor of creating a social history that is centered on people and resonates with the broadest possible audience”.
The forward is followed by 5 essays. The first is by Sarah Roberts, also of SFMOMA who is responsible for this publication. She discusses the meaning of “sublime” and how it describes “emotional magnitude” be it “terror” “awe” or “boundlessness”. She notes there is a “racial sublime” which Sherald explores by creating Black portraits with White tropes. This essay covers the influences on Sherald’s content and style and gives background on some of the works in the book.
There are 4 other essays
• Deborah Willis quotes Sherald on her works and includes Sherald’s Vanity Fair cover for their feature on the death of Breonna Taylor.
• Elizabeth Alexander, a poet, develops the theme of “American Sublime” through poetry.
• Rhea Combs discusses the technical aspects of Sherald’s work, quotes from Sherald and points out aspects of some of the pictures in the book.
• Dario Calamese has the most biographical information in the book. Sherald has had a heart transplant!
Every plate (there are over 50 of them) is a highlight. All are full body. It is said that the size is just short of actual life size. Most subjects stand and stare at you. They are neither happy nor sad. It is as though they are just going about their everyday life.
Very few of the subjects are in a room or outdoor setting. Most have a background of solid or textured color. This sets off their clothing which is painted flat (not with draped shading) that give a paper doll effect.
Each portrait has a personality expressed by the subject’s stance and clothing. A few have props like a fishing pole, a rabbit, balloons or a tea cup.
Published by Yale University, this is a beautifully designed book. Care has been taken with the reproductions in focus and color. The paper is well selected somewhere between matte and gloss and the weight is such that there is no bleeding, but the book is light enough to hold while reading. The tips of the pages that you see when the pages are on their sides are a modern version of marbling.
This is a great addition to anyone’s coffee table or any collection of American Art.
Amy Sherald is notable in the field of Black portraiture. In 2019 she was commissioned to paint the official portrait of Michelle Obama for the National Gallery of Art. You can see this painting on p. 101.
In the “Forward” Christopher Bedford, Director of the San Francisco Museum of Art and overseer of the 2014 show of Sherald’s work says, shows reflects the museum’s shift from “telling a “stylistic history in favor of creating a social history that is centered on people and resonates with the broadest possible audience”.
The forward is followed by 5 essays. The first is by Sarah Roberts, also of SFMOMA who is responsible for this publication. She discusses the meaning of “sublime” and how it describes “emotional magnitude” be it “terror” “awe” or “boundlessness”. She notes there is a “racial sublime” which Serald explores by creating Black portraits with White tropes. This essay covers the influences on Sherald’s content and style and gives background on some of the works in the book.
There are 4 other essays
• Deborah Willis quotes Sherald on her works and includes Sherald’s Vanity Fair cover on the death of Breonna Taylor.
• Elizabeth Alexander, a poet, develops the theme of “American Sublime” through poetry.
• Rhea Combs discusses the technical aspects of Sherald’s work, quotes from Sherald and points out aspects of some of the pictures in the book.
• Dario Calamese has the most biographical information in the book. Sherald has had a heart transplant!
Every plate (there are over 50 of them) is a highlight. All are full body, it is said that the size is just short of actual life size. Most subjects stand and stare at you. They are neither happy nor sad. It is as though they are just going about their everyday life.
Very few of the subjects are in a room or outdoor setting. Most have a background of solid or textured color. This sets off their clothing which is painted flat (not with draped shading) that give a paper doll effect.
Each portrait has a personality expressed by the subject’s stance and clothing. A few have props like a fishing pole, a rabbit, balloons or a tea cup.
Published by Yale University, this is a beautifully designed book. The paper is well selected somewhere between matte and gloss and the weight is such that there is no bleeding, but the book is light enough to hold while reading. The tips of the pages that you see when the pages are on their sides are a modern version of marbling.
This is a great addition to anyone’s coffee table or any collection of American Art.
January 1, 2025
A gorgeous catalog of the major retrspective of Amy Sherald's portraiture paintings. I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibition when it comes to the National Gallery late in 2025. Meanwhile, this book is stunning both in the plates of her paintings and the articles accompanying them. Her best known work is the official portrait of Michelle Obama and all the other portraits are equally stunning and thought and emotion provoking in their recasting Black people into the American canon.
January 23, 2025
Fuck yes.
This is a perfect book about an interesting artist with helpful context and insight. There were a few paintings I just stood in front of, totally lost, sometimes without thought. Stunning.
This is a perfect book about an interesting artist with helpful context and insight. There were a few paintings I just stood in front of, totally lost, sometimes without thought. Stunning.
September 20, 2025
I saw her recent show at the Whitney Museum and was just amazed at the size of these portraits and the color palette she uses. A truly amazing collection of this great artist who pushes portraiture towards new heights.
May 26, 2025
Quite simply could never get bored looking at Amy Sherald paintings.
July 12, 2025
gorgeous
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews