Object Details
Artist
Brigitte Lacombe, born 23 Dec 1950
Sitter
Maya Angelou, 4 Apr 1928 - 28 May 2014
Exhibition Label
Born St. Louis, Missouri
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969, Maya Angelou (1928–2014) launched a series of seven remarkable autobiographical novels. The books span several years, shedding light on her difficult childhood, when she shuttled back and forth between relatives in the North and South; her starring role in Porgy and Bess during its extended international tour in the 1950s; and her tireless work in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou renamed herself in adulthood. A politically engaged writer, she was also a widely published poet, whose work was most powerful when recited by its author. This was certainly the case when she read her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” for an audience of millions at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. In 2011, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
Brigitte Lacombe (born 1950)
Inkjet print, 1987 (printed 2012) NPG.2012.48
Maya Angelou, Hotel Algonquin, Ciudad de Nueva York
Nacida en St. Louis, Misuri
Con la publicación de Yo sé por qué canta el pájaro enjaulado en 1969, Maya Angelou (1928–2014) inició una serie de siete novelas autobiográficas excepcionales. Los libros arrojan luz sobre su niñez difícil –turnándose entre las casas de distintos familiares en el norte y el sur del país–, su rol protagónico en Porgy and Bess durante una extensa gira en la década de 1950 y su incansable labor en el movimiento pro derechos civiles en los cincuenta y sesenta.
Nacida Marguerite Annie Johnson, Angelou cambió su nombre ya de adulta. Además de sus textos de compromiso político, fue una poeta fecunda cuyas obras cobraban su plena fuerza cuando las recitaba ella misma. Así fue cuando leyó el poema “El pulso de la mañana” ante millones de personas en la investidura del presidente Bill Clinton en 1993. En 2011 recibió la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad de manos del presidente Barack Obama.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Date
1987 (printed 2012)
Object number
NPG.2012.48
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Brigitte Lacombe
Type
Photograph
Medium
Inkjet print
Dimensions
Image: 45.3 x 44.8 cm (17 13/16 x 17 5/8")
Sheet: 61.1 x 50.7 cm (24 1/16 x 19 15/16")
Mat: 81.3 × 66 cm (32 × 26")
Place
United States\New York\Kings\New York
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Jewelry\Earring
Maya Angelou: Female
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer\Poet
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Theater\Stage actor
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer
Maya Angelou: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Social reformer\Civil rights activist
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Television\Television actor
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Dance\Dancer
Maya Angelou: Civilian awards\Presidential Medal of Freedom
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer\Autobiographer
Maya Angelou: Arts and Culture\Literature\Writer\Memoirist
Maya Angelou: Performing arts awards\Grammy
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.2012.48