Oil and tempera on canvas
“I want to include in my painting all the objects that haunt my thoughts,” said Jean Dubuffet, as referenced in an essay published in Présence Africaine in 1948. In Grand Jazz Band (New Orleans), the artist used thickly applied paint and flat, graphic composition, methods he later likened to a conductor directing an orchestra. Although Dubuffet never traveled to New Orleans, he frequented jazz clubs in Paris and played the music himself. Negrophilia, the fascination with Black cultural expressions, was prevalent among the white avant-garde in the capital. Dubuffet made this painting only months after the city’s liberation by Allied Forces, including African American soldiers.
520: Présence Africaine, 2025
Provenance Research Project
This work is included in the Provenance Research Project, which investigates the ownership history of works in MoMA's collection.
Jean Fautrier (French painter, 1898-1964), Châtenay-Malabry, France. By 1954
Maurice Lafaille, Paris. 1955
Private collection of Mr and Mrs Pierre Matisse, New York. Acquired from Lafaille, 1955 - April 1960
Museum of Modern Art benefit auction, Parke-Bernet Galleries, April 27, 1960. Donated by Mr and Mrs Pierre Matisse
Nina and Gordon Bunshaft, New York, N.Y. Purchased at Museum of Modern Art benefit auction, 1960 - 1968
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Nina and Gordon Bunshaft, 1968
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Jean Dubuffet
French, 1901–1985 748 works onlineJean Dubuffet’s work is marked by a rebellious attitude toward prevailing notions of high culture, beauty, and good taste. He began making art in earnest at age 41, after a stint in the army and a successful career as a wine merchant.
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Présence Africaine
Gallery 520In the 1930s and 1940s, Paris was a mecca for Black artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals from around the world.
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