A revelatory reassessment of one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century Charles White (1918–1979) is best known for bold, large-scale paintings and drawings of African Americans, meticulously executed works that depict human relationships and socioeconomic struggles with a remarkable sensitivity. This comprehensive study offers a much-needed reexamination of the artist’s career and legacy. With handsome reproductions of White’s finest paintings, drawings, and prints, the volume introduces his work to contemporary audiences, reclaims his place in the art-historical narrative, and stresses the continuing relevance of his insistent dedication to producing positive social change through art. Tracing White’s career from his emergence in Chicago to his mature practice as an artist, activist, and educator in New York and Los Angeles, leading experts provide insights into White’s creative process, his work as a photographer, his political activism and interest in history, the relationship between his art and his teaching, and the importance of feminism in his work. A preface by Kerry James Marshall addresses White’s significance as a mentor to an entire generation of practitioners and underlines the importance of this largely overlooked artist.

Charles White (1918-1979) was an artist, a teacher and an activist. Widely celebrated during his lifetime for what his contemporaries termed 'images of dignity', his depictions of African American men, women and children continue to resonate today. White's commitment to figuration, to directly addressing the social and political concerns of his time through his work, and to mastering mediums that allowed for wide circulation of his art established him as a major figure, and one with significant influence on his peers and followers. Through a close examination of White's late masterwork Black Pope (Sandwich Board Man) in The Museum of Modern Art's collection, this book considers White's artistic practice and strategies. Beginning with his earliest days as an artist in Chicago in the 1940s, to time spent developing his craft in New York in the 1950s, and ending with his final decades as a revered figure in Los Angeles, Charles White: Black Pope explores the artist's career through a focused consideration of key works. By creating visually compelling, ideologically complex works that engage audiences on many levels, White established himself as a key figure of his time, one whose work continues to resonate today.